A strategy for positive thinking

     
                                     Warning this post has religious opinions and personal beliefs

          I do not ask for you to agree, but this is me

                                 It wasn't always easy for the people in my life to get use to my Anxiety. There was some that knew exactly how to respond, how to help, what to say, understood perfectly and helped a ton! I love you all so much! I also have ones in my life that really didn't know how to respond at first but they slowly came along. I also love you guys and I really appreciate that you took the time to figure it out and deal with me! XOXO
  
         My boyfriend/best friend (we just recently started courting WHOOPWHOOP)  and I have been friends for over a year and I don't remember exactly when I told him about my anxiety but when we met it was bad, part of my every day and wasn't well maintained. It was hard to hide it from him so I would occasionally tell him when I was in the midst of an attack or being triggered. I didn't expect him to drop everything and help me or know exactly what I need when I need it because that's not okay! At the time he honestly didn't even know what Anxiety was. I had to explain what I deal with and that it is a real medical thing that a lot of people deal with! 
 
         It took him months to realize how serious it was and figured out how to help. To this day he's still learning, I give him props for loving me to the point where he accepts this part of me and helps me daily with it! <3

                 I will do a post in the future more about our relationship and his perspective of things because I think that would be helpful for others who have a spouse who struggles with anxiety/depression.


          Anyway! To the point of this post....
                                    My boyfriend is away at Bible College and one day after a class he messaged me with this image
                                                                                
                             
                                                      

        We got on the phone and talked about what this meant and what his professor was talking about that day - Anxiety and Bad dreams. 

  

          This image illustrates a Verse from the bible; Phillippians 4:8 "Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things." 

  

          My boyfriend then told me to draw this picture on a piece of paper and each word is a category that I can write examples in to think on when in the midst of a negative attack. ( ex. under "TRUE" I wrote "God's Grace, Peace, and healing is sufficient.")

    I only made one paper filled with truths of all these categories so far but I could make multiple for different places in my life. The one I have right now is on my clipboard at work. Making one for at home, in the car, for in my purse those would all be smart places as well. It helps me when I get anxious or am having serious negative thoughts! 

    The truth about overcoming negative ruts in your life is that it takes work to get out of them. It takes battling the mindset you are in to reach the fulfillment of a positive mindset and outlook on anything and everything. Everyone battles fears, discouragement, offenses and lies. Some of us are just gullible and naive more than others.


         This is a great tool that will help you because as soon as you get a lie in your head or a thought that opposes any of the said categories in Phillippians 4:8 (something unpure, something unjust) you will be equipped with TRUTHS to contradict that thought and you will be standing firm on your confidence and freedom from that thought because the truth will indeed set you free! 


     SPECIAL THANKS to my great boyfriend who is on this journey with me.