BLAME: Who Is to Blame For The Situation We Are In?
By Sally Tippett Rains
During this COVID-19 time we are sometimes our own worst enemy because we allow other peoples’ negatives to come into our mind. I try as hard as I can to have a positive countenance and avoid other people’s drama, but sometimes I say to myself “step aside to get their negative out of my positive.”
It’s up to us to be guardians of our peace of mind—and peace in our heart. Our minds and our hearts are where we keep our joy and hope. When it gets all muddied up, that’s when fear creeps in.
Have any of these thoughts crept into your head… will I get a stimulus check?… what if my loved one gets the virus?… what if I get sick– or if I AM sick…why is ‘so and so’ breaking the quarantine rules?… what if I lose my job?… what if my loved one loses their job?… And I’ll just say it—“Ugh Pelosi!” or “Ugh Trump!”
If you are mad at a particular person or group—you are being consumed by your anger and letting it change the peaceful countenance you deserve to have.
We’ve all thought or said some of those thoughts, and when we concentrate on the negatives, WE are to blame for the way we feel.
Do you know what that is? We are letting a “bad force” taking over our mind.
I heard a TV station say “we’re only giving you facts, not trying to scare you.” And they proceed to do features on why masks won’t work, how we are wearing our gloves wrong, and how next week will be the worst week ever. Gee thanks for taking away the fear.
When media outlets do features on “what we are doing wrong or what worse things can happen,” it’s up to us to sort it out. Our job is to stay inside and not spread the virus. Other than that we are free to live our life—and we can have a good life even in isolation.
People are streaming concerts, there are TED talks, Rob and I are even doing daily “video quizzes” to help keep our minds off the negative and provide something for people to do. You are not alone.
In this situation—just as in our everyday life—we have to arm ourselves with whatever we think it takes to save ourselves. For me, that armor includes, gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, and a strong faith in God. Every day I arm myself with the only strength I know I have sometimes—knowing God has a plan for me to prosper; and staying in conversation with Him.
I wake up knowing there are people taking care of us—the people who were elected in all levels of government and they are doing their job, so I don’t worry about that. If you think this current government situation is unique or particularly challenging— try watching PBS documentaries on past presidents.
We are just hearing too much and we need to figure a way to quiet our hearts.
Don’t let the news reports make you scared. Stop letting the devil ruin your peace of mind.
I very rarely think of the devil and I usually do things because I am positively motivated, not motivated by fear, but it’s time we stand up to ourselves and realize we don’t have to be scared. We need to save ourselves and that means admitting to ourselves that at times we are letting the bad forces in.
“When I grew up, the Devil was a reason why I had a headache or the Devil was the reason I got mad today,” said Joel Osteen the famous pastor and author. “We always blamed the Devil. I think today when I say the Enemy, I like to make it broader. Sometimes the Enemy can be our own thoughts.”
I know I am as guilty of letting unwanted thoughts into my mind as anyone. Just this morning I laid in bed and wondered if there was anything else could have done when my mother-in-law recently passed away while in lockdown at a nursing home. Then after that, the door to my mind started opening and I thought about the anniversary of my little niece’s death, and then my own mother and soon worrisome thoughts were flooding in everywhere.
I finally got up and shook those thoughts out of my head. I went into another room and lit my candle and got my Bible out. That’s one thing I always tell people, you can center yourself and quiet your heart if you make an effort to do it… but if you just keep feeding the negatives you are doing it to yourself.
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” —Matthew 10:28
Whatever is going to happen to us is going to happen and we can choose to let the “bad” come in or we can make an effort to live in peace.
We can do this! We can chase the negatives away and only let good thoughts enter our world.
Bible Verse
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:7
Quote
“I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.” –Marilyn Monroe.
Aren’t we all just small people in a big world doing the best we can and looking for love? When we look for love and see things through love, we reduce fear.
Action Plan
So what are you going to do during this time? Are you going to let “the bad” win? Are you going to let the negatives consume you?
Or are you going to try to find ways to make your world better.
Ways to Choose Happy:
- Find something you like to do and do it. (I like to strum my autoharp, so I get it out and play it even though I’m not very good. It’s something to work on.)
- I know there are so many people who are spending way too much time scrolling their Facebook or Twitter. Some of the postings are great like the positive ones friends put up or the funny quarantine memes—but there are also so many negatives. Why not limit your scrolling and add reading to your day. I am referring to reading books. Remember them? Go clean out a closet and find an old book and re-read it.
- Work on your health and well-being. Don’t let this be a dreadful time where you pity yourself and gain weight and become inactive. Think about what is important in your life in the area of health and then work on that. I know I feel better when I stay on a certain eating plan and at holidays or other times when I let my guard down, I end up on a period of laziness and not feeling so good. I’m not the most athletic, but I’m forcing myself to take walks, do exercises and try to eat healthy. (I didn’t say go on a crash diet, I said do things to help yourself feel better.)
- Figure out how you will get your news and what you will do with it. These news outlets have to fill time so realize they are giving you negatives so you will keep coming back. Watch it for information—and then turn it off!
One Last Thought
I like that quote, are you going to be bitter or better? But a new one is in my head these day– Am I going to be better or “badder?”
Don’t let the bad in. Are you having a bad day? Well that’s too bad because you are allowing yourself to have it. You could have had a bad few minutes or a bad afternoon—but unless a death is involved— all of our days have the chance to have some good parts in them.
It is up to us to find the GOOD.
#ChooseHappyFindContentment
If you liked this, please subscribe to my blog. If you already subscribed, please know I wrote this for you and I prayed for every single one of you who will read this. We are not alone. God is with us and we are with each other—in our hearts.
Sally Tippett Rains is the author of “Choose Happy; Find Contentment in Any Situation” Published by Peppertree Publishing, Sarasota, Florida, Distributed by BookBaby.
To Buy the Book:
Partial Color Version: CLICK HERE
Photo credits: Choose Happy photographs by Allen Ahner.