Are you willing to fight for your smile? In Confessions of a Caregiver Episode 7, I offered four tips to help caregivers through the tough days. One of those tips is to smile until the rest of you catches up with your face. Sometimes that’s hard, but I found that the more you do it, the easier it gets.

My sister doesn’t have any trouble smiling. She is sweet and joyful in the simple things. Keep reading to find a few new tips to help you keep smiling.

Change your perspective

Start practicing gratitude. When your life starts looking like a joyless, black and white task list, its time to shift your perspective away from yourself and your problems. Turn your focus toward God. Try listing five things He’s already done for you and then thank Him for each one. Rinse and repeat every morning, and you’ll soon wake up smiling.

ceramic heart on twine stamped with I am grateful

Choose not to be miserable. I could have said choose to be happy, but the other way sounds more dramatic and, for me, is more doable. You can’t just flip a switch to be happy. It doesn’t work that way. But you can say, “I’m not going to be miserable today.” Then you can lean on God’s Word and encourage yourself with it. Speak scripture over your life to remind yourself of who you are in Christ.

Encourage yourself. Try saying something like this:

  • Lord, you promised never to leave me or forsake me, (Deuteronomy 31:8)
  • I am loved (John 3:16)
  • I am a daughter of the King, (Galatians 3:26)
  • I am a child of God, (1 John 3:1)
  • I am chosen, (John 15:16)
  • Lord, you told me not to be anxious about anything, (Phil 4:6-7)

Hide God’s word in your heart. The bible is full of God’s promises and declarations of love for you. Ask God to help you find them, then use them to encourage yourself. I encourage you to try memorizing you favorites, so you have them when you need them. (Matthew 4:4)

 

 

Take action

Focus on God, and watch your problems get smaller. Another way to say this is circumstances become more manageable with a fresh outlook on life. Either way, you come out smiling.

Change is hard, friends, but it’s worth fighting for. God will do His part, but you must do your part. Choose to take action and God will be right there with you.

  • Practice smiling until it sticks.
  • Practice gratitude until it becomes a habit.
  • Encourage yourself in Christ.
  • Memorize your favorite verses.
  • Focus on God, not your problems.

Do you think these tips can help you change your perspective? Or maybe you have something new to add to our list.

How will you take action to start smiling again?

 

Today I’m posting on the Five Minute Fridays Link Up, a writing community that meets once a week to write for the sake of writing. A five-minute writing exercise prompted by one word provided by our host, Kate Motaung. The writing prompt this week is  SMILE.

You can also find me here this week: 
Faith on Fire, Lyli Dunbars link-up.
Grace and Truth Link-Up

 

Ceramic heart on twine Photo by Carl Attard on Pexels.com

Bible photo credit by unsplash.com