Gratitude Challenge: Day 12

"You can handle anything if you think you can. Just keep your cool and your sense of humor."

- Smiley Blanton

Auj says...

Lately, I have been trying my best to keep myself calm. Today, I had the chance before I took my siesta nap to think about how I have been in the past -- how irritable I can get and how mad I can be when I am angry; that I sometimes reach the point of wanting to tear all that my hands can touch and scream on top of my lungs until no more sound comes out.

Today, as the challenge goes, instead of putting my focus on everyone and everything that surrounds me, I focused on myself. I hate myself when I release my anger in the wrong way. When I feel stressed or irritated, I put a 'bang' on things. But weeks ago, something came to me and changed something in me to push me to stay calm even in the midst of complete exasperation. Anointing fall on me. I want to share a few of my personal tips on how I have been winning over my dark shaded side:

I started a zero-tolerance policy on my temper. I have the power to change my moods. For good.

To think that not everything can go well in each day. And so I remain ready for everything.

Starting my day right. Waking early, cleaning up, having coffee, working early.

My regular routine for Bible reading and quiet time, each time everyone else is still sleeping.

Taking few, very DEEP breaths, to reduce my stress level. Similar to being a singer, diaphragmatic breathing helps a lot.

Visualizing myself as cool and calm all the time.

To steer away from catastrophizing. And this involves resisting the temptation to make things blow out of proportion.

I distract myself. As much as possible, I try to laugh at the situation. I'd rather use humor more in my life, for my own advantage. For my own health's sake. :)

To accept that I have no other choice but to cope.

And then, I fell asleep. One of the sweetest naps I had after I've put in my hardest on a long week that just passed. Oh yes, I work weekends. You can say that again. *lol

Dori says...

I just woke up. I still woke up. I am awake. I am awakened. I am alive. That means I have to prepare being surprised by the Lord and try having a purposeful existence today. Today. Not any yesterdays or tomorrows.

Since it's also the first day of February, a brand new month, I am making an oath to steer a million miles away from any anxious thought (it does not add up any day in my life anyway if I worry). And with Auj emerging as an improved 'Inday' every morning (she has transformed into this mop-loving and fragrantly cleaning addict) which she told me is some form of ritual she does as an offering and/or sacrifice for a huge request she is asking from the Lord, and which I find truly humbling and admirable; Pio adjusting so well with her bummer life switching from three homes of his choice and not giving me enough stress to take Valium or any tranquilizer; and Nanay peacefully embracing her senility through a consortium of emotional brigade my siblings and I have come up with, life is good!

I am also a big fan of random acts of kindness and I am often guilty of bombarding the Lord with requests of enormously blessing me so that I can be freer to do not random but His constant acts of kindness. To reflect His goodness, that should be our daily purpose.

Love is denied expression by poverty. May this thought unceasingly fuel our desire in striving to outwit and create better versions of ourselves every time we wake up for a brand new day and honestly say I AM AWAKE AND AWAKENED.. I AM ALIVE.