Yippee let's make a list - um... I guess not very exciting really! It's not that the list making is exciting, it is what the list can do for you when you feel down that is great. I have two lists; things that fill me and things that drain me. Every time I have found something that either fills me or drains me I write it on my list. This way when I am feeling drained and can remind myself of what fills me and force myself to do it. The list that drains me is a great tool too as it reminds me of what not to do too much of. Lists have really helped me over the years. I even have a list of who I am and who I am not. This has helped me so much too. On one occasion I was in an interview for a job I thought I would really like. I thought this job was a project manager role but half way through the interview I realised it was a personal assistant role. As soon as I realised this I said to the interviewer;
"I am sorry; I don't want to waste your time this job is not for me!"
It was such a liberating experience; I have never turned down a job in an interview before. The reason I was able to do that is because on my list one of the things it said was - I am NOT a personal assistant! I have done enough years of being an administrator and a personal assistant and moved into management roles to know that I really don't want to go back to being a PA.
On my list of things that fill me is playing my piano or learning to play the guitar, longs walks, long baths, writing songs, singing to God on top of my voice all alone in the living room, sitting on a bench in the garden when the sun is really hot, listening to live jazz or lighting candles and listening to jazz in my bedroom, walking on the beach, watching my babies sleep, staying in bed on Saturday morning and chatting to Eric about everything under the sun, etc. I am sure you get the picture. One of the verses I love in the Bible is in Isaiah.
Isaiah 61:3
To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
Pleasures Forevermore
The last thing I feel like doing when I am down is praise but it WORKS! Every time I start to praise, this usually this means singing songs to get started, the spirit of heaviness goes. It could be a spiritual thing or it could be the fact that your mind is taken off the problem and is set on God. Either way I really do find that this is one of the biggest keys to my sanity! Praise takes me into God’s presence and that is the one place where I find peace, love, hope and joy.
Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Isn’t that such a beautiful verse? Not only does He promise to show me that path of life and offer me fullness of joy when I come into His presence but he offers me pleasures forevermore. Wow, yes please! Our joy and pleasure is important to God so I feel quite comfortable with making a list of things that bring me pleasure. God’s will is not for me to be suffering with depression but it is that I enjoy life to the fullest. Depression is definitely the plan of Satan to rob me of my joy and steal my pleasures from me. One of the ways he can steal these pleasures is by blinding me to the fact that they even exist!
New Things
PS. Have you noticed that my book's covers have been designed, have a look here they are really cool!
Lists! Wonderful things for clarifying the mind. Keeping one on track . And, of course, for remember things!! Especially the things that bring one down. Yes, yes, Angela – what a great idea. And a list of things that bring one ‘up’ especially important. Top of my list for that is a long hike. Getting out of the city and into the ‘green’ with lots of wildlife to ‘spot’. I hope everybody takes up your suggestion on this one – it’s guaranteed to improve their life.
ReplyDelete