Staying Positive and Trying to NOT Turn Into An Ostrich!!

Over the last few months, I have signed up to various websites that send daily inspirational quotes and prayers via e-mail.  I consider myself to be organized, at least with things having to do with family schedules and routines and work.  My daily morning ritual consists of waking up early in the morning with coffee in hand, checking and sending e-mails from at least four e-mail accounts, finalizing my daily to do list for the day, and starting (or finishing) some work-related items.  When checking e-mail, I always start with the non-work e-mail.  I usually receive at least one of the daily inspirational quotes for the day.  Throughout the day, I check the other e-mails and the others trickle in later in the day.  Doing this helps to keep me mentally in check.  The e-mails are often very timely for the moment.  One of the e-mails I received today was one of those "timely" inspirational pieces, which I would like to share with you.

The following excerpt comes for today's daily inspiration from Neale David Walsche's site www.nealedavidwalsche.com.

".....positive thinking does not mean turning into an ostrich.  Burying your head in the sand in the name of "staying positive" is not a good strategy.  Wearing blinders rather than looking right at what's going on right now is not the way to create for vision for tomorrow.  Sculptors have to look at the block and begin cutting parts of it away before their vision emerges in the marble. Look directly at the block if you want to create the art."

When I woke up this morning, I truly felt like that ostrich.  I wasn't feeling well as I have been dealing with a cold.  Both my husband and son have been sick as well.  I woke up congested and with a headache, and I started to think of all the stresses going on, particularly the financial stresses.  I truly felt like burying my head in the sand.  I knew deep inside that things will eventually turn out for the better, but I really didn't want to do anything about it at that moment.  I actually did not want to even think about it!


When I read the quote this morning, I remembered thinking that it's one thing to say and act "in the name of staying positive" during very difficult and challenging situations in one's life.  As I thought it through even more, I reminded myself that a key piece in dealing with life's challenges is to take an obstacle and shape it into something positive that will eventually help you in the long run.  For me having faith and trust in God that He is helping to lead me to a better path.  Only He knows what is best for me and my family.  That, to me is the "staying positive" part.  Now I can choose to just sit there and be an ostrich with my head in the sand and do nothing and take no action.  I can choose to stop finding ways to save money.  I can choose to not make the necessary, yet painful, changes in my and my family's life that will help us be financially healthy.  I can choose to let the stress take it toll on my relationship with my husband and son.  I can do nothing by perhaps convincing myself that God will just drop that path or "fix" right before my eyes.  But that's not how I believe God works.  We must trust Him by also actually doing something.  In a sense, I am living my life as if I am wearing a blindfold over my eyes, and God is holding my hand and leading the way.  I can "hear" Him not like one hears someone who is speaking to them as a live person.  God speaks to me through my heart and soul.

Every day I make a conscious decision on whether or not I will be an ostrich.  In reading my blog posts, you will find themes on positive thinking and having faith.  I truly have to work at it.  I believe we all do.  I sometimes allow the stressors in my life to get to me and bring me down.   My commute to work is rather long, and I do use some of that time as my "soul time," often feeling positive and upbeat, but sometimes I do feel depressed.  There have been times when I do cry and pray to God to please help me to just get through the day.  Then I get to work (or home), I brush myself off, pretend everything is okay, the I put my "work hat" on (or my "family time hat").  In those moments, I will be that ostrich.....but only for a short time.  I believe God accepts this because I know that sometime soon, perhaps later in the day, that something will happen to me that will be a sign and message from God that He is with me, holding my hand and reassuring me.  At the same time, He is gently pulling my head out of the sand.

I hope that this post resonates with some of you.  Staying positive and sustaining that faith takes work.  If you have faith in God, family and friends to lean on, life's challenges will be much easier to cope.  I pray that all of you who read this have the three F's in your life ----- faith,  family and friends.  I know that I do, and I truly feel blessed.