10 good things

I believe that for every bad thing, there are 10 good things in the midst. 

That may have been the most Enneagram 7 thing I’ve ever said, but before you peg me as a stereotypical, overly positive 7, let me confess: lately, I haven’t been so positive. I know, I know. Sue me. I recently graduated from college and moved seven hours away from home. I started a new job in a city where I know, like three people. It’s been a whirlwind of excitement and adventure while simultaneously being absolutely terrifying. 

If you’ve ever walked through a new season of life, you know that it can be filled with a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. Even if you’re not walking through a new season, life, in general, can be filled with uncertainty and anxiety. If we’re not careful, we can become numb to all the good things and zero in on the scary stuff, which is exactly what the enemy would want us to do. He’s in the business of feeding lies and instilling fear in our minds and I’ll be the first to admit I’ve fallen prey to these tactics, especially in this weird and awkward season that is post-grad. But I don’t want to fall prey.

I want to choose to find joy in every situation, celebrate the good more than I obsess over the scary, and ultimately, be filled with a peace that surpasses understanding. I don’t write this blog post because I have a step-by-step cure to overcoming fear and anxiety. If I had that, I would’ve posted it a long time ago. Rather, I wanted to share something that has rocked my world when it comes to my thought-life and battle with fear and worry. A couple of weeks ago, I started challenging myself to list 10 good things when one bad thing weighed on my heart. At first, coming up with 10 was a challenge, but the more I wrote, the more good things kept floating into my brain. I eventually found myself dwelling on 11 good things and then 12 and then 20. I quickly realized that while life is sometimes scary, stressful, and uncomfortable, it doesn’t change the fact that there are still good and beautiful things in it. Sometimes the good things are right in front of you; sometimes you have to dig a little bit. 

I don’t think “10 Good Things” is a novel idea. I’m pretty sure they teach this in therapy. If they don’t, they need to because this thing is a game-changer. I’ve found it to be incredibly beneficial in my efforts to dwell on what is good and holy, as Paul states in Philippians 4. Grabbing a hold of my perspective and anxious thoughts is a daily battle. Waging war against these things is no easy task, but I’ve found “10 Good Things” to be a useful tool in the fight. What are the good gifts in your life? When’s the last time you stopped and thanked the Lord for them?


10 Good Things:

1. A two hour FaceTime with a friend who lives forever away
   
2. A new outfit. I’m not talking any old outfit. I’m talking one that makes you feel GOOD. An outfit that makes you do a double-take in the mirror. 
   
3. Vitamin D. That stuff is a miracle worker. 
   
4. Taylor Swift dropping a new single on a random Tuesday! It’s the little things!
   
5. COFFEE. Specifically when it is sipped while wearing a snuggie. 
   
6. GETTING YOUR HAIR DONE. New woman, who dis?
   
7. Running into old friends. Alexa, play Old Friends by Ben Rector. 
   
8. A wedding. Who doesn’t love love?
   
9. Me-time. A girl can only extrovert so much. 
   
10. Gospel music. Stop what you’re doing and listen to “Shine on Us” by Nashville Life Music. That song is a literal BOP.