Given that we now accept the fact that we will find ourselves in the press in our lives, we have to learn to have joy in the press. In case you are unsure of what the press is, it is that place where things get extremely tight in your life...You may find friends and family members coming against you, things not going the way you planned, and/or situations overwhelming you to the point of feeling helpless in your situation. In this extremely tight place, you have to find a way to deal with the pressure that comes from being wound up and squeezed until it seems as though you can't breathe and there is no way out.
The press is not only tight, but it is also extremely hot! It is much like being tossed into the furnace. The heat in your life is turned up and it feels like you will be consumed by the fire of the trials and tribulations that you face. It is a heat that is so hot that you can feel it before you find yourself in the fire. Yet, you have to go through the fire.
So now you must be asking how do you find joy in a situation like that ...pressed on every side and heat that threatens to melt you. Let me tell you how you get and keep your joy in the midst of all of that. First, you have to accept that you are going to be in the press. It is simply a reality that those seasons of press will exist in your life. You may not know exactly when they will come but you know that they will come so you are not surprised by their occurrence. Once you expect something, then it takes the surprise out of it. It is when we don't expect things that we find ourselves shocked by them. Take away the shock and you remove the element of surprise from the equation.
Second, you accept that while you are in the press people will be revealed to you. People that you know and love, people that you really like, and people that you just know in some capacity will be revealed as either for you, not for you, or could care less about what happens to you. The crazy thing is that you will be surprised by who is for you and who is not for you. The people that you think will be for you, won't be for you. And the people that you think won't, will be for you. So don't be surprised. Again the key is take the surprise out of the situation. Just accept people for who they are. They will tell you and show you who they are so believe them.
Third, you have to accept that you can only control yourself and your actions in any situation. You can't control anyone else so stop trying. It is when you expect to be able to change others that you find yourself frustrated. Because you can't control other people, control yourself. Make the best decisions that you can best to position yourself for where you want to go. If others don't want to go or don't get it, it is okay. Let them do them and you do you. Life will go on. I know that it may sound cold and uncaring, but the reality is that the best thing you can do for other people is let them choose the life they want to live and deal with the consequences.
Finally, you have to accept that you can choose joy in any situation no matter how difficult, tight, hot, or overwhelming it is. No one else can give you joy or bring you joy. You choose joy by accepting people and things for what they are and maintaining your positive attitude. Positivity about life regardless of the situation will put you in position to have joy no matter what goes on or how it turns out. Your focus is on remaining positive and seeing the positive in the situation and there is always something positive in every situation.
Accept that you will be in the press, people will show you who they are, you can only control yourself and your actions, and you can choose joy in any situation. Accepting these statements as reality will position you to have joy in all situations and especially in the press. It is all a matter of CHOICE! What will you choose...expectancy or surprise, your perception of people or their reality, control of yourself or frustration that you can't control others, joy or bitterness? Again you choose joy. Why not?
For more timeless lessons and endless wisdom, listen to Dr. Glass on 880 AM WBMD Thursdays at 3:15 pm on "Nothing But the Truth w/ Carl Boyd, Jr." or online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-big-mouth-880-am-wmdb. Visit http://www.drveronicaglass.com/ and purchase your copy of Use Your Buckets: Twelve Life Lessons for Success. This book was featured on The Balancing Act on Lifetime. See the interview by clicking The Balancing Act banner on http://www.drveronicaglass.com/. Share this information with a friend and follow the blog that is changing people's lives by changing their perspectives!
Joyfully,
Dr. VG
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