1.    YES, YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER THIS.
Let’s be real…It’s sometimes easier said than done. Some circumstances are going to floor you! This is inevitable. The truth is, we aren’t built like robots. We all have emotions and they can get the best of us. We all have hearts and they can and will break.  But when the smoke clears and we pick ourselves back up, we have to move forward. And the best way to do that is to do so with dignity and purpose…choose happiness. You’ll have to choose it.

2. YOU’LL HAVE TO PRAY FOR STRENGTH…FOR MERCY…FOR GRACE.  God will provide it for you but it may not be visible to the naked eye. It’s in the little things each day. It’s in a child’s smile…in your dog’s kisses, in the sunshine, the smell of a campfire, the stars on an August night, in your favorite song, laughing with your best friend…the promise of hope in new beginnings, the overwhelming feeling of peace you get unexpectedly when you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom.  Hold onto that-it’s significant. This is
God’s hand, stretched out reaching for you.

3. PEACE IS PRICELESS AND POWERFUL and sometimes the only thing that is going to keep our sanity. It is more powerful than wealth, popularity, addiction, doubt, anxiety and fear. It is more powerful than low self-esteem, criticism from others, self-doubt, temptation and envy. Know this- when someone criticizes you, they lack peace in their own lives. They don’t understand the value of building someone up as oppossed to tearing someone down, because they haven’t felt the effects of a meaningful compliment and the joy that comes from choosing to love instead of choosing to hate. Be patient with them and don’t retaliate. You only become part of the problem when you choose retaliation.  Want to surprise them? Try responding with a compliment. Just see what happens. Even if it isn’t well received by them; notice how it makes you feel. Look for that feeling of peace within you. When you restrain from allowing yourself to feel angry from someone elese’s opinion, you retain your peace and control.

At the end of the day, what do you have that brings you peace and happiness?  God gives us all gifts. We just have to find out what they are and use them…and who they are and cherish them…wrap them up tight and hold them close to our hearts.

~There is no true happiness in tomorrow until you can find it in today~