Day 5: Choose to Focus on the Positive

Scripture to Memorize:
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks for nothing of value.
Proverbs 31:10-11
Passage to read:
Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally brothers, 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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I do rejoice in you and I seek for the joy and rest I find in knowing you be manifest in my life as a gentle and quiet spirit. Thank you for walking with me and guiding me. Today because I have faith in your promises I will not be worried about anything. Instead I cast all my worries, petty concerns, and unquiet spirit on You. You have been very good to me and I thank you for your many blessings.
Holy Spirit, help me to remain in the peace of the Lord and recognize when I am not, even when my circumstances are less than peaceful. Give me a positive attitude that helps me focus on my blessings, the things I have to be grateful for instead of what is wrong in my life. As the verse say let me focus on wht is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. In other words help me to stay focused on Jesus because he is all of those things. Thank you for making it so simple and keep me from complicating it. In Jesus name, Amen.

The power of positive thinking. Donna shared several examples of how a positive outlook on life and a belief in people as good, the world around us as good instead of focusing on negativity and what is wrong with people and the world. Doctors know that if we have a positive outlook we recovery from illnesses more quickly, are less apt to get sick in the first place, and live longer and happier lives.
She also points out that if we treat people in positive ways they respond in positive ways. She further points out that it is our choice. We can chose to wallow in misery and negativity and feel sad, stressed out, and in general negative all the time or we can chose to be happy and think positively in which case we will generally be happier, healthier, and live longer. A negative attitude will also make the people around unhappy.
Another point is that a big step in becoming the woman God wants me to be has to do with focusing on what is right and not what is wrong, and turning my attention on the truth of God's Word. A major tool in having a positive mind is the use of affirmations. It is not enough to simply read the affirmation, I need to repeat it over and over again, frequently throughout the day, and day after day until they are incorporated into my belief system. "As you fill your mind with the truth about who God is and all the good things he has done in the past and desires to do in the future, the negative will eventually get washed away."
As I begin to think new toughts, my attitude changes, gradually the words I speak and the way I respond will change, and my behavior will also change.
Affirmation: I choose to focus on the positive, especially the truth of God's Word; therefore my life is filled with positive outcomes.

Practical.
Write the day's affirmations on Post-it notes or better yet spiral bound index cards and carry them with you everywhere you go. You can also write your own affirmations. Then anytime you a few free minutes repeat some or all of the affirmations out loud several times. You can do this anywhere you have to wait a few minutes.