On November 1st, 2014, I posted this message on my Facebook page:
“Only two months left of this year. I vow to be happy and enjoy these last eight weeks. If I can keep a positive attitude, then maybe I can look back at this year and think, man, 2014 was an amazing year!”
Though I wanted to share my thoughts with my friends, I wasn’t just spouting words of motivation for other people. My post was completely sincere. This post was actually a note to self. It was a reminder that life is going by too fast. I have to enjoy my life before it all disappears. I had promised myself that no matter what happened over the next few months, I would keep a positive attitude. I truly believe that happiness is a choice.
Yes
…however, it’s easier to keep a positive attitude when life is going well.
But suddenly I felt that my thoughts and words were being challenged. Ever since I posted that particular message, my life became difficult. I suddenly ran in to conflicts at work and home. I was strangely at odds with friends. I had unexpected money problems that financially set me back. My car needed repairs. My computer picked up a virus. My work schedule changed. I caught a bad cold…
Through it all, I kept reminding myself about my Facebook post. I was going to maintain a positive attitude.
…and the problems continued.
I felt continually challenged by life and the universe. Did I honestly think that just by making a declaration of positive thinking my life would suddenly get easier? No, but I hadn’t expected to be so challenged every day either. Dang! And everything had actually been going so well before I made that Facebook post!
“I told you,” my friend, Sara, said when I told her about the situation last Saturday. “You never should have posted that on Facebook. Whenever you make positive assertions…that’s when everything usually goes wrong!”
“Yeah, it’s so strange,” I told her. “Everything has become a challenge ever since I made that vow to be happy “
Sara laughed at my words. I wasn’t insulted. I felt the same way. I was laughing, too. Is this what keeping a happy attitude actually is? I wondered. Is having a positive attitude actually the ability to find humor in challenging situations? “It always happens that way,” she laughed. “You never should have posted that message.”
“Yeah,” I responded. “I think I’m being tested. Maybe there’s something great coming for me and I have to prove myself worthy.”
Sara suddenly wasn’t laughing any more. She grew very quiet as she looked at me solemnly. “Oh, my gosh,” she sighed, as she contemplated what I had just said. Suddenly, I realized that Sara had just been joking about the whole situation. She really hadn’t taken the connection between the Facebook post and my life seriously. “I hear people say that all the time. ‘I have to prove myself worthy.’ You don’t really believe that, do you? I think that’s so wrong. Why would you be tested? I don’t believe that at all. God knows who you are already. He already knows you are a good person. You’re human. Don’t you deserve the best? Why would you have to prove yourself worthy of a good life? This is just what we call life. We have good times and bad. There is no testing to be worthy.”
I was stunned by her words. I suddenly realized exactly how right she was. I wasn’t being tested. I was just living my life. I have happy times and I have my challenging moments. All of those moments have created my life and made the person I am now! It’s not about proving myself worthy of having a good life. It is just about creating a life. Nothing in my life goes right. Nothing in my life goes wrong. My life just goes…all according to the way it should be. I don’t have to be positive. I don’t have to be negative. I just have to live.
Author Jamie Zunick 
He never promised it would be easy. I agree with your friend,especially about her reaction to your comment “being tested.” I think this day in age there is lots of talks emphasis on being happy and what makes us happy and yes we do have to like what we do or who were with so we can live day to day but sometimes the things we like have their drawbacks. For example my job. Most days are good somedays are not and those days that are not good are hard and uneasy. Like a relationship you have to take the good with bad and wait things out eventually the sun comes out again. Sorry this was so long I am a sloppy writer hope you could pick up what I threw down. Have a good day.
You wrote this comment beautifully! I agree with you. We have to accept the good with the bad and live life with integrity. Sometimes we are in situations that are difficult to fathom especially if we believe everything happens for a reason. But as you just said, we just have to wait things out. Ups and downs…that’s life!
I always enjoy reading your thoughts.
Thank you. I appreciate the feedback. It is very interesting to read how my blogs are being interpreted. I’ve gained a lot of insight from you!