By: Jennifer Texada
Monsters like Fear, Self-doubt, Anger, and Drama come to visit me all of the time. They used to love me, because I would put a bowl of food out for them whenever they would come around. But lately they don’t come around so much anymore, if they do come around they don’t tend to stay long. I don’t feed them anymore, if I do, they don’t get much.
I call them the monsters because they can be so big and destructive. When they creep into your life you can choose to feed them, and give them energy or you can starve them until they go away. And they always go away, eventually.
Feeding the monster is giving it fuel;
Step 1, if I call something drama, no matter how little or big it is, then it becomes drama.
Step 2, I tell my friends about my drama (i.e. Ooh girl, do I am going through some drama…).
Step 3, I let them feed my drama, invite them to comment and get angry or scared right along with me. Now this little issue has become very big, and will continue to grow until it is solved or I stop feeding it.
I know how tempting it is to feed the monsters. It is natural to want to label, validate and discuss your feelings, especially the negative ones. However the key to not creating monsters lies in how and how much you label, validate and discuss them.
It is not to say my life is monster-free, but when it they show up I know I have choices. I try and put those things that challenge me into perspective. If it deserves some energy I try to give it positive energy. If I must speak on it try to talk about its solution, or minimize its importance in the grand scheme of life. If I call it small, then it tends to become small in my mind, and in turn I handle it like a small problem.
If it becomes bigger than I want it to, or I feel like it is getting away from me, I give it to God. In the face of these things I draw my strength from knowing that there is no problem to big for my God to handle. As big or bad as something may seem my God is bigger and badder.
So stop feeding the monster and start greeting the challenges. Life is too short to allow obstacles to take over…and that’s all they are, obstacles. Some may be big, some may be small, but know that God will not give you anything you can’t handle.
Next Article: What I know about: Being happy in the now
2 comments:
What are some ideas on how to stop feeding the monster? If the thought's, worries, or situation keeps popping up in your mind how can you stopping worrying and thinking of it?
Good question... Top 5 things I do when I feel the need to feed the monster
5. I pray, and pray and don't stop praying until the feeling has passed
4. I feed the monster on paper. I journal my feelings instead of speaking them
3. I clean, or work out, or play a game, pick up a book, movie anything to keep my mind busy
2. I call a friend, one who does not put up with my excuses to work through the monster
1. I SWITCH MY FOCUS either on to serving the needs of other, or on to praising God you cannot worry about yourself while you are helping someone and you can't worry about yourself if you are busy praising.
Hope this helps
Post a Comment