Then as suddenly as this all happened, I changed my tune. With as much merriment as I could honestly muster, I started saying "Merry Christmas" to everyone who was cutting me off in traffic. I was actually quite humorous after five or six cars. But my mood completely changed.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
I think I blogged on this recently, but I would like to approach this from a different angle.
A soft or kind word to yourself will turn away your anger.
The field in psychology known as cognitive therapy, emphasizes that negative thought patterns can have a profound effect on our physical and mental well-being. How we perceive a situation, or even our day-to-day life, can contribute to higher stress levels and ultimately contribute to anxiety and depression.
"The average person has approximately 40,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day," says Mirgain. "Obviously we're not aware of every single thought. But, research suggests that many of the thoughts we think are negative, and the majority of them are repetitive."
https://www.uwhealth.org/news/can-what-you-think-affect-how-you-feel/41007
". . . many of the thoughts we think are negative, and the majority of them are repetitive." Wow! How much of what we think is actually not helpful? Taking a few moments to speak a soft word to ourselves can improve our mood, up our productivity and enhance our relationships in a positive way.
So what are you saying to yourself right now?
PRAY: Dear Jesus, I want to say positive, good words of faith into my life and the life of others today. AMEN
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