It’s Monday, and you might feel like complaining today. Maybe you feel like complaining everyday. Mark Batterson, the author of “In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day”, writes a chapter on reframing your thoughts. Instead of complaining today reframe your thoughts to something positive. How do you do that? Instead of focusing on the negative force yourself to focus on the positive. It’s the idea that no matter what happens to you…it could be worse. Doing this can help you think about the positive things you do have in life.
I came up with a list to help you reframe your thoughts. If something happens to you today and you feel like complaining think about this list. After all it could be worse.
Top 5 Worst Things That Could Happen To You…
- Number 5: Walking on broken glass. This one is inspired by the Annie Lennox song Walking on Broken Glass. I heard it on my way to the gym today and I thought “if one piece of glass in my foot hurts walking on glass would really stink.”
- Number 4: Your spouse dies on your wedding day. That would be awful.
- Number 3: A car accident that kills everyone in your car…but you. It’s even worse if it’s your family in the car.
- Number 2: Being Adultnapped. It’s like being kidnapped but you are an adult. Have you ever watched this happen on CSI? The person napping the adults does sick things to them. Sick things.
- Number 1: Living the movie Cast Away. This movie came on over the weekend and Monica and I watched part of it. If you haven’t seen it Tom Hanks becomes stranded on a deserted island. Midway through the movie I declared this would be the worst thing that could happen to me. Separated from the people you love, lonely, no food or shelter, and you’ve got to take out one of your hurting teeth with an ice skate. I hate camping. If this happened to me it would be the worst thing ever.
“The circumstances you complain about become the chains that imprison you.” – Mark Batterson
An exercise I try to do everyday when I journal is to list a few positive things that happened to me during the day. This way I focus on positive thoughts instead of less negative thoughts like at least that didn’t happen. The positive things can be small, like seeing some wildflowers, to reading something in a book, to someone smiling at me. They can be big things like finding a good pickle or winning the lottery.
Timely Rbb. Thank you.
Good reminder to think positively and thank God for the good things
Thanks Rob!
Interesting, your #1 & #2 I don't think are that bad.
2. Being adultnapped… I've wanted to be mugged for a while (sick I know, but Kuchera's my hero), this would be taking that to the next step. I understand bad things will happen, but I've watched too much 24 and would like to see how I'd react. Plus I'd like to fight. I have issues, I know.
#2 Castaway… with the exception of having to knock my tooth out with the iceskate, I'd enjoy the challenge of a Survivor Man type ordeal. Hopefully it doesn't last more than 2 years, but you could make a lot of money once your back. Book deals, Oprah… a movie deal. Yeah, I'd do it.
i like to wake up and immediately think…. “Hey, I’m not Tom Cruise”… and I’m set for the day on a good note.
What’s up with #4 …..never have thought about that until now THANKS ROB
Great set of it could be worse ideas. How about you invent a cure for a disease and then everyone in the world takes it, mutates into “28 days later” style zombies and you’re left alone…