Not every day is good, BUT . . .

OK, I must admit, I struggle greatly sometimes. One of the reasons I have not blogged lately is because I have been struggling emotionally. Depression is a serious issue affecting millions and I am one of those millions.

Even if you don’t struggle with this issue, I know you have bad days from time to time. It’s amazing how one moment can change the course of your day and turn your outlook from positive to negative in a flash.

• An unkind word.
• An unexpected bill.
• A startling phone call.
• A negative comment.
• A dashboard light.
• A frightening diagnosis.
• An alarming email.

Even if your outlook is naturally cheery and your sunny disposition is rarely cloudy, sometimes, in a flash, your day can go from sweet to sour, and suddenly everything’s coming up weeds—no roses to be found.

Recently a statement I read on my pastor’s daughter’s blog caught my imagination. I’m considering blowing it up to a 200-point font and pasting it on every surface I may look at to remind myself of this truth. Here it is:

Not every day is good, but it is best to look at the good in every day.

Simple, right? But powerful.

It is a plain fact that not every day is good. For me, as I have struggled with this dark side of me called depression, those days can easily turn into weeks. It can be difficult to see through the thick fog of despair, sometimes demanding to even get out of bed or take one step forward.

But this simple statement reminds me, even in the darkest days, to look for the one lone ray of light. To rifle through stacks of despair to locate a dispatch of hope. To search for the good needle in the haystack of gloom.

Not every day is good, but it is best to look at the good in every day.

One of the ways I’m trying to do this is by writing down three things I’m grateful for. I have a custom daily to do sheet I designed and use and there is a spot on the sheet for me to write this down every day. I also have a weekly focus sheet I use and I have a spot there to record “good things that happened this week.” And I’m trying to stop in the midst of a swirling vortex of despair moment and look for the good, the right, the positive to focus on and move me forward. By the way, my wife is great at helping me with this.

I’m sure you can think of many other ways to do this. The best way for you is the way that works best for you. The most important thing is that you have a specific strategy, not some vague idea.

How do you focus on the positive in the midst of the negative? What’s your specific strategy?