How would you rate your life?

Good? Great? Fine? Terrible with a capital T? If there was something you could do that would change that rating, would you want to know what it is? Would you like to know a secret to go from Terrible to Terrific? From Fine to Fantastic?

I know I sure did! In fact about four years ago, I was in a state of beyond Terrible with a Capital T, at least for me. Have you ever been to a point in your life when you were afraid to pick up the mail? I have… twice. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like that feeling. In fact, it scares me.

I was in emotional turmoil. My mind was continually uneasy. I would go through fits of rage and then be in a puddle of tears all in the span of 5 minutes. I was in torment trying to “figure it out.” And, I’ll be the first to admit, it made me pretty unhappy, negative person to be around.

It seemed like the more I worried about things, the worse they got. And, the worse they got, the more I worried about things. It was a perpetual revolving door. And, like Buddy the Elf demonstrated so well, that can make you sick. Dealing with insecurities and unknown or scary situations seems like part of life. It can really make us give life a lousy rating.

So, how can we go from feeling like we’re living a tragic life, to feeling like we’re the luckiest people on the earth? Or, at least feeling joy from day to day rather than feeling freaked out or like failures?

It all comes down to one thing–what we’re thinking on.

I know that sounds a little crazy and way too simple, but it’s true. Our life is made of the choices we make, and the choices we make come down to what we think. In other words, your joy is determined by your thought life!

Are you thinking on the positive things in your life? You know, the things that are going right? Or, are you focused on the negative things in your life? Whatever you focus on is what’s going to be amplified in your life. It’s what you notice.

I remember when I bought my first car, a VW Fox. I never really noticed them on the road until I purchased one. Then all of the sudden they were everywhere. Was there a rush to buy this car (I serious doubt that), or did I just notice them because now that I owned one it was on my mind?

Did you know you can’t think a negative thought and produce positive actions or feelings? Positive and negative thoughts can’t actually dwell in the same place at the same time. The fantastic news is we get to choose what we’re thinking on! Let’s see what God says about our power of choice.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.

He wouldn’t tell us here to think on these positive things if it wasn’t possible.

So, if thinking on negative things brings us negative results in our lives, what will thinking on positive things do? You’re absolutely right, it will give us positive results. First in our thought lives which translates into making positive choices which then brings positive results in our lives.

So, let’s get to those 5 questions that changed my life. I believe they can do the same for you. I discovered these questions in Tommy Newberry’s book The 4:8 Principle.

What 5 things am I thankful for right now?

Can be things in the past or present, or big or small things.
I’m thankful for Jesus dying on the cross for me! I’m thankful for being a wife and a mom. I’m thankful I have a job. I’m thankful I have a roof over my head or food to eat.

What are 5 of my strengths or positive qualities?

Look, we all know what our weaknesses are, but does it really help build up our thought life if we focus solely on that? I think it’s more valuable for you if you know what your strengths and positive qualities are and then focus on growing those.
Maybe you’re great at hospitality, your thoughtful or kind to strangers, you’re organized, or your flexible.

What are 5 of my greatest achievements so far?

This again, could be something big like you wrote a book, or led someone to Christ.
Or, it could be something as “simple” as being a respectful wife or a loving mother. (Although we all know those are actually a huge achievements!).

Who are the 5 people who love me the most?

Rather than thinking about the people who hurt you, who are the people who are there for you?
Who are the people who love you enough to challenge you to be better? They may be family or they may be friends. Name them.

What 5 things am I looking forward to in the next 7 days?

This is a big one! Forecasting our future can bring us out of the present and help us look forward to what’s ahead.
It can be hard to find something we look forward to sometimes, but you can do it! There’s always something to look forward to, even if it’s just a payday, a birthday party or a beautiful sunrise.
Look at your calendar to help trigger some thoughts.

Why Does It Work?

Why did these questions change my life? Asking myself these questions forces me to think positively and be thankful about my past, present and future as well as made me think positively about myself. These questions displace negative thoughts with positive ones. Remember, we can’t think negatively and get a positive result.

Again, is goes back to–our joy is determined by our thought life. I had to change the way I was thinking and start focusing on the good that was going on in my life.

Write It Down

When I first started going through these questions, I struggled answering them. Some days were harder than others. I’ll be honest it was especially hard to answer the questions about my strengths and greatest achievements. I remember many moments of crying as I answered these questions (or couldn’t answer them) when I was in the midst of hopelessness. That’s why I recommend writing your answers down each time you go through this exercise. It will give you something to look back on when you’re having a hard time answering them or just when you’re having a hard time.

How Long Before It Starts Working?

I wrote down these five questions and my answers everyday until it I noticed a change in my thinking (which took several months for me). This took me from feeling sorry for myself to being thankful, from letting my emotions make my decisions to choosing to think like God thinks. My joy improved because my thought life improved.

I recommend going through these questions daily if you can. Or, at least 3 or 4 times per week. Then once you start seeing a difference in your thinking and you find yourself automatically thinking positive rather than automatically thinking negative, you can move to an “as needed” basis. I still do this exercise whenever I see my thinking doing a down hill run to the negative.

I want to leave you with this quote. “You are writing your own life story with each thought you think!” (The 4:8 Principle by Tommy Newberry). What story are you writing?

For Discussion

What story are you writing? Are you automatically thinking negative or positive? If it’s a story you don’t like, what story do you want to write? Share your thoughts with us below.

Podcast-Blog

5 Questions That Will Change Your Life