Here's the Key to Happiness

Have you ever been in a place of complete destitution? Or perhaps felt a feeling of devastation? Maybe, more than anything, you just wanted a way out; a way out of the pain and misery. At one point in my life, my sadness and brokenness were all I could think about. I was tormented by the thoughts that told me I was a mistake and a waste of life; those thoughts convinced me that I was a horrible human being who deserved to be thrown away and never remembered. No matter what I did, these thoughts would not stay hushed. They would not disappear.

As a "religious" person, I had always relied on God for everything, or so I thought. Before a depleting sequence of events, I felt that He and I were inseparable. We were locked all the way in, and so that means that I would always talk to him, and He'd talk to me. I say that to say, what I had originally relied on to "get through"was no longer who I relied on. I would resort to my own devices to deal with how I felt.

He gave me a sense of peace that just didn't make ANY sense.

Now, after months on a never-ending emotional rollercoaster, God truly showed up in unimaginable ways. After nearly two years of torment, He gave me a sense of peace that just didn't make ANY sense. While I was still hurting, I felt that I was able to finally breathe and I felt such an acceptance of the season I had been in.

Peace came with my acceptance, but I wasn't complacent. Instead of crying out with questions, my prayers became declarations. I told God that I would buckle up and do what He wanted me to if He provided me with the inner security and courage to do so.

HE DID JUST THAT. God moved swiftly...

With tears in my eyes and a broken heart, a confused mind, God loved on me. Through my most painful experiences, He's been the most loving God. He has worked every single thing out for my good. When I reflect on that season of my life, a very long and tumultuous two years, I cry tears of joy and gratitude because I entered that season an unsuspecting young girl, and from this season arose a strong-minded, humble, loving, even more, wise and compassionate woman.

I choose to thank Him.

So, here is the key. I am only able to cry tears of joy because I made the decision to find ways to be thankful. I didn't start out thanking God for my adverse experiences, but I started with the small things. I choose to thank Him. I thank Him for a warm and personal space to lay my head, a closet full of clothes, shoes, food in my home, a car in the garage, activity of my limbs, and a family. No matter where you are in life, try gratitude. I thank Him for peace of mind and being in my right mind because I know what it feels like to feel as though I was losing my sanity.

Gratitude truly changed my life. Notice, you don't have to have your dream life to be thankful and full. You can choose gratitude no matter what state you are in. Furthermore, I believe that gratitude is the catalyst for God to truly move on my behalf. My gratitude signals Him to come to where I am and fulfill my heart's desires and utterly blow my mind.

My days are not perfect; some days I have to fight those destructive thoughts, and they seem to come out of left field with the strongest uppercut, but now I know how to bob and weave, but most importantly, I know how to get up.

I have shared with you one of the keys to absolute joy. Now it's up to you to try it. Remember, you do not have to be perfect, just be authentic, just be thankful.