Do you ever feel like you’re fighting battles in your mind. Battles that if somebody asked you, you couldn’t tell them if what was going on in your mind was real events or made up? Our minds are way more powerful than we think they are! The negative thoughts we have can cause us to lose sleep, have added stress, make us sick, depressed, and some days cause us to want to stay in bed, cause us to overeat or under eat, and just generally be unhealthy. Unhealthy both mentally, and physically. This is where I have found myself over the past several days. My mind has just been racing like a train. Can you relate? Maybe not. Maybe you are one of those people that has done the hard work and knows how to control your negative thoughts so they don’t become negative things. Guess what, I’ve done work too, hard work, but sometimes the thoughts still like to creep in!
You might be saying to yourself right now that this is something that people should be able to pull themselves out of, or get over it as people like to say. Some think people shouldn’t even let themselves think, and feel these things. Let me ask you something. When you get a physical ailment, do you feel the symptoms? Sometimes people feel these thoughts just as real as that pain of say when you break a limb. And quite honestly, as someone who has endured both mental and physical abuse, the mental lasts way longer! The battle of the mind can last for years after you feel like you’ve healed.
So what does a negative mindset and negative thoughts do to people? They can make you feel like people don’t like you. Make you feel left out, or like people are talking behind you back. Make you feel like you’re not worthy. Make you feel like you don’t measure up. Make you feel like your friends don’t really have your back. Make you feel like your spouse has lost interest. Make you feel dumb, fat, insecure, ugly and on and on and on. Get the picture? Do you see the cliff that could be quickly approaching? Now tell me the mind isn’t powerful!
I think often when we are fighting these mental battles, we have other things in our life triggering this reaction. I think these battles can be years of hurt and pain not dealt with. I also believe that these battles can happen to trip us up, or cause a roadblock in our journey. What do I mean by that? When somebody has a vision and something they’re working toward, I think sometimes things come to try to trip them up. Anything worth having is uphill so it’s going to take work. Not much in life comes easy so sometimes there are tests and trials. These tests and trials look different for everybody, but for me, this generally comes with a battle of the mind for whatever reason. And, I can tell you that they typically come right when something is coming in my life for the better. I wish I could tell you that I am always strong, and these things don’t at times cause me to stop right in my tracks, but I would be lying to you. They cause me to second guess a great deal of things in my life.
I have worked especially hard through counseling, prayer and reading to see these triggers from things in my past, and do what needs to be done when these thoughts come, but whether it’s the weather, or a myriad of other things right now, I have been on the struggle bus a few days. As I prayed this morning, I asked God for a word or something to help with the feelings I have been having. I know what the scripture says about this matter, in Proverbs 23:7 it says that what a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Working on a positive mindset is something I am working on constantly. You see, I know first hand what the difference between having a negative and positive mindset can do to a person. This morning, I received not one but two confirmations about what my thoughts have been doing, and not letting them trip me up and knock me off course. TWO!
I don’t believe you can just think yourself out of a situation, or think yourself better, or think yourself rich, etc. However, I do think your mind is powerful enough that if you are able to change your mindset, your possibilities are limitless, and you will stop at nothing to accomplish what you want to in life! So, do you see yourself as a survivor or simply surviving? Do you see yourself as an overcomer? Do you see yourself as worthy and deserving? Do you see yourself as able? Do you see yourself as capable? You are!
I believe in you. Did you hear me? I believe in you! Let me tell you something. When these thoughts come to knock you off course, jump off that train. The people that love you, are there for you though thick and thin, through adversity, through your faults and failures, are there riding your train with you live or die! Focus on those people when your mind tries to play tricks on you. The other people don’t matter! Focus on God and how far you’ve come when your mind goes there! You don’t have to stay in the ring of every battle that comes to your mind! If you want off the train, find what works. Prayer, mediation, reading, counseling, exercise or whatever you need to do, but you don’t have to attend this party your mind is inviting you to! Decline that invitation right now! It’s crucial for you to control your mind and become all you have the power to become!
As I bring this to a close, I want to make something clear. If you’re reading this, and you’re a survivor of any type of abuse in your life, you may have a daily battle going on within your mind that nobody knows about. You are a survivor, and I know you don’t just get over things, but hear me out here. You are worth finding the ways to clear this cloud in your mind! The future you deserves to be set free! Get professional help and learn to deal with these battles in your mind. You deserve a bright future! Choose today what you will feed! Choose carefully!
With love for you all,
Shauna
Shauna's Sisters 