confidence

Finding Hope in Times of Adversity: Trusting in God’s Plan

/ Clay D. / 2 Comments

We’ve all been there. By there, I mean been in a situation where we doubted if God was ever going to come through for us. 

Each of us faces challenges and struggles every day of our lives. Some of these challenges are small—perhaps as simple as trying to find a parking space in a crowded parking lot. Other challenges can severely test our faith—perhaps a family member has received a negative diagnosis from a doctor.

The question many of us ask ourselves during these trying times is, Where is God in this situation? 

If you’re like me, you tend to question God during these times, even challenging Him to show up and do something positive to affirm His love for us.

It’s easy to point our finger at God and ask Him why He has allowed this bad thing to happen to us. 

After all, we’re good Christians, right? We read our Bible, go to church, pray, and perhaps even give when the offering plate is passed around. Why shouldn’t God bless us when negative circumstances come into our lives?

This isn’t a simple question to answer by any means. By expecting God to bless us when we do the things He expects of us, we’re completely taking His love and mercy out of the picture.

We’re reducing God to some sort of magical genie whose only purpose is to grant us wishes upon our request.

And that is not what God is at all. Sure, He can do anything He wants. However, His plans often don’t coincide with what we think is best for our lives. In fact, more often than not, they don’t. 

It is during these times of trials that we simply must trust in God and His plan, understanding that He knows best and that,

for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Rom. 8:28

I have had to lean on that verse many times when things weren’t going my way.

God is bigger than I am, and He knows how to run the universe. He doesn’t need me telling Him how I think He should do things, as He is perfectly capable on His own.

However, believing that God can and does do what is best doesn’t always translate into a feeling of peace and calm for me.

Does that mean that my faith is somehow lacking? Yes, it probably does. It most likely means that I’m not relying on Him to work everything out for the best.

A good verse to read and meditate on when things aren’t going your way is Psalm 91. Here are verses 2 through 6:

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

    and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

    nor the arrow that flies by day,

 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

This passage can give us hope in God’s goodness and protection when it seems like all is lost. It conveys to us the love of God for His people and the protection that He has promised to us.

We can also keep in mind Psalm 103, especially verses 17 and 18:

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,

    and his righteousness to children’s children,

 to those who keep his covenant

    and remember to do his commandments.

We can rest confidently on God’s promise to look out for us during all the trials we are sure to face while living on this fallen earth.

That doesn’t mean that everything is always going to work out how we think they should, because often they won’t. 

We can, however, feel certain that God is in control and that His plan will be for our benefit. It takes faith to continue trusting God even in the midst of circumstances that look hopeless. 

But we know that with God, all things are possible. Plus, we have His promise that He is always on our side.

So, the next time you’re facing a challenge in life, just remember that God has everything under control. 

He exists outside of time, meaning He is in the past, present, and future all at the same time.

Even though our human bodies can only experience life moment by moment, God has already been where we’ve been and where we’re going. It’s just up to us to trust Him.

Change Your Posture, Change Your Life

/ Clay D. / Leave a comment

Did you know that you can change your entire attitude and mood just by altering your posture? Body language not only impacts those outside of us, it can also make positive changes inside of us.

It’s true. If you’re feeling down in the dumps, take a moment to sit up straight, hold your shoulders back, and hold your head high. You’ll immediately feel better. Go ahead—try it the next time you’re depressed and see if it doesn’t help you break out of the funk.

You can also make yourself feel more confident by assuming a “power pose.” Suppose you have a job interview or important meeting coming up and you’re feeling a little unsure of yourself.

Take a moment to stand up tall with your hands on your hips, your head tilted upward, and your legs slightly apart like you just scaled a huge mountain.

Or, as an alternative, try a “victory pose” with both fists high in the air over your head like you just won a boxing match (or any other sport of your choosing). 

These poses work even better if you can stand in front of a mirror where you can actually see your facial expressions and body language. It’s almost magic.

You’ll immediately feel more confident and prepared for your social interaction, whether it’s an interview, a sales presentation, or a networking event where you’ll be meeting new people.

Psychologist and author Amy Cuddy gave an excellent TED Talk a few years ago about posture and body language. Take a moment to check out either the full version or the quick and dirty condensed version.

Consistently making a few small changes at the right time can dramatically improve your life. Go on—give it a try.

Paint Your Face How You Want to Feel

/ Clay D. / 1 Comment

Have you ever heard the saying, “Fake it till you make it”?

Simply put, it refers to acting a certain way until you actually begin to feel that way. Motivational speakers often explain the power of this life hack to crowds of business or sales professionals.

However, you can use it in your everyday life as well. If you want to feel more confident when you’re at a party or get-together, for example, just act like you are a confident, relaxed person. Walk into the room with your head held high and a walk that says you know what you want out of life.

One of the most important parts of this technique is your facial expression.

Did you know that you can actually trick your mind into thinking you feel a certain way? Normally, we look at things the other way around—whatever emotion we feel or think about (joy, sadness, anger, etc.) is consequently displayed on our face (using our eyes and mouth).

But, the opposite is also true. If we put a big smile on our face, we can’t help but feel better. That’s right, smile really big and see if you don’t feel happier. You can actually change your mood instantly just by changing your facial expression.

That’s what I like to call “Paint Your Face How You Want to Feel,” or PYFHYWTF. If you want to feel joyful, put a big grin on your face. If you want to feel calm and relaxed, smile serenely and narrow your eyes a bit like you’re basking in the breeze on a warm beach and almost ready to doze off.

The effect is even more powerful if you do this while looking in a mirror.

There is an abundance of science behind why smiling makes us feel better. When our smile muscles contract to form a smile, they fire a signal back to the brain to stimulate the production of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin that make us feel happier.

And when we’re happier, we smile more. It’s a positive reward cycle that can be set into motion just by smiling.

Imagine yourself as being happy and the feelings will follow.

Psychology Today has several online articles about the positive aspects of smiling—here and here are just two of them. The British Council even recommends holding a pencil between our teeth to exercise our smile muscles.

Not that you’d necessarily ever want to feel angry, but if you did, you could make yourself feel that emotion just by creating and angry expression.

That’s why when something small bothers you and you start to show it on your face, the emotions involved can quickly escalate. Before you know it, you’re full of rage over something insignificant.

You have much more power over your emotions than you might have realized.

Go on, give it a try. Stand in front of a mirror and give yourself your best smile and see what happens.