Don’t Let Cloudy People Steal Your Sunshine…

Have you ever noticed how many people can only see the negative? We are reminded in Scripture to praise the Lord, to think on what is of good report and be still and know that God is God. Why then is it so hard to do any of that when a coworker or manager, friend or family member is criticizing, complaining and generally trying to rob the sunshine from an otherwise blessed day?

Often the truth is that many people carry far too much emotional garbage. I can still recall a friend of mine that rarely traveled. When they did travel it looked more like moving day than vacation day. Every contingency had been allowed for. Every resource that “might be” needed had been packed or stowed and was dragged on the adventure. Most would never be used and sometimes didn’t survive the journey. In contrast I had a friend who traveled as part of his work. 20+ days of every month found him in transit, in airports, in rental cars or hotels. He rarely had more than one case. He carried what he needed and that was enough.

People with emotional garbage are carrying every memory, moment and muscle cramp from their past. They act like they will need it for the future. They don’t, they need the lessons not the luggage! The more they carry with them the more people they bump into and the more discomfort, pain and arguments that ensue. We each need to begin setting down and leaving behind us those things that caused us pain. They are not worth carrying with us, hurting us and hurting others.

The lessons we learn from painful moments are worth taking with us. They are and can become an emotional Ph.D. from the school of life. Best of all they can be a powerful tool to more beneficially deal with a future moment and a way to help others have victory over a bad moment. Why carry the luggage when you can carry the lessons?

Take a look at what you are feeling stressed over and ask yourself what lesson you can learn from it? Then look for someone overloaded with the emotional baggage and offer to help them lose some of the luggage.

Copyright 2010 © Charles Lyons
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”