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Think Joyously! Think Realistically! Stinkin Thinkin!
Distorting Your Reality!

June

God gave us free will. We are not puppets on a string; we can choose and make
decisions but “We don’t have to re-invent the wheel” I used to say when I was business
consulting. Reliable statistics and facts are readily available to the public to be accessed
through many resources. One source is Internet; however, be sure to verify your
information since it may not be factual. God wants us to have a good life. Striving to
absorb God’s joy will give us ‘peace of mind’. It astonishes me though, that many
people still use forms of thinking that have been proven to be harmful to yourself.
One form of negative thinking is called “all or nothing thinking!” These persons tend to
see things in black-or-white categories. If a situation falls short of perfect, they see it as a
total failure. This type of thinking will often lead to the failure of long-term projects;
when results don't roll in right away, they feel completely discouraged. Also, they are
usually guilty of using an additional form of thinking called: ‘discounting the positive’.
They reject positive experiences by insisting they 'don't count'. This form of twisted
thinking "takes the joy out of their lives.” Joyce Myer, a TV Bible teacher, admitted to
being guilty of this type of thinking and has corrected it through the years and today
markets her tapes: “Enjoying Everyday Life.” David D. Burns, M.D. authored the book,
“Feeling Good” where he lists all of the following destructive ways of thinking with
detailed definitions.
Do you recognize these types of negative thinking: Emotional Reasoning – (assuming
that your negative emotions reflect the way things really are). Jumping to Conclusions -
(no facts to support your conclusion). Magnification - (exaggerating the importance of
problems and minimizing the importance of your desirable qualities). Mental Filter -
(dwelling on a single negative detail). Overgeneralization - (seeing a single negative
event as a never ending pattern of defeat by using words such as 'always' or 'never').
Labeling - (saying 'I'm a loser'). 'Should' Statements – (telling yourself that things should
be the way you expect them to be). Personalization and Blame – (holding yourself
responsible for an event that isn't under your control).
God wants you to have a wonderful life! From the following Psalms, you can learn
how: Psalm 16:11 “You show me the path of life. In Your presence there is fullness of
joy; …” Psalm 30:5 “…joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 5:11 “… let all who take
refuge in You rejoice; … sing for joy.” Psalm 30:11 You have turned my mourning into
dancing; You have … clothed me with joy, …” The word joy appears 54 times in the
NRSV translation of the New Testament Scriptures, therefore, it must be important to
God. Why, then, do we destroy our joy with joyless, negative thinking?
Please realize that each of the above patterns of thinking distorts ‘your reality’. Make
the choice to think realistically! Believe in what is real!