Becoming a Little More Optimistic About Life

BIBLICAL POINT OF REFERENCE:

"For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.”

~Romans 8:24-26

I have no reason to complain—everything in life is going really well, great actually, and I’m in a good place right now. I’ve had a vacation at home and an adventure in Europe; I’ve been to some family weddings; I’ve had time to relax; and I have a great job that I love.

But this past weekend, I hit a point where I just knew something was off. I wasn’t feeling super happy or hopeful about the next stage of my life, which is really a shame, seeing as I have a lot going for me.

So what was wrong? I could chalk it all up to not getting enough exercise or not eating healthy, or just feeling a little depressed after coming back from the trip of a lifetime, but those are all minor excuses. The reason I was feeling the way I was feeling had (and still has) more to do with my prayer life and my relationship with Jesus than anything else.

Somewhere in the last couple of months I seem to have lost my sight on why having a close connection with God is so important. I even let myself bury the problem because I was doing a lot of exciting things, and believed that I couldn’t be having that much of an issue if God was allowing me to have fun and stay safe in the process. It’s not like I wasn’t praying at all or started skipping Mass every weekend either, so how did this happen?

I obviously don’t have all the answers to solve this issue—which is probably more common than I realize among other Christians and Catholics—but I knew this needed to change, and it needed to change before I lost my courage to admit to myself that I was struggling.

So fast forward to Monday morning: I have made a resolution to do something, anything, to start focusing more on my relationship with God. I decided to begin each day with morning prayers, even if for only ten minutes. Then I decided to get up earlier so that I had some time to say those morning prayers and exercise before getting ready for work. Lastly, I told myself that I need to be happier, and that happiness only comes from the Lord.

I don’t have a lesson that goes with this article. I can tell you what I experienced from focusing on these little changes though: I started feeling a little more optimistic about life. I felt calmer, more in control of what happens to me and in who I let affect me positively or negatively. It was easier to focus on changing little things before making a big change in perspective, attitude, and faith. This may not seem like much, but it goes a long way when you’ve been feeling disconnected for a little while.

Your Laughing Sister,

Callahan

Check out the WHEN LIFE DRAGS YOU DOWN and PRAYER quotes pages for more inspiration!