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Romans 12:2
Encouragement to fulfill God's purpose through Practical Life Application and Navigation

20 Days of Trouble

Your heart aches but you can’t ease the pain. You’re confident life isn’t supposed to be this hard but you can’t seem to make ground. You WISH it were one step forward and just two steps back. Now THAT would be a gift. Negative thoughts invade your mind and swallow up your soul. Trouble is looming all around and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.

 

You don’t want anyone to notice, to pick up on your misery. That would equate to weakness or failure, and neither is an option. So you just put on your brave church face and plaster a fake smile where a genuine one should be. “Suck it up,” you think, “No one likes a sissy.” And no one has time to spare and listen and help anyway. It’s actually easy for your agony to go unnoticed. Who even looks you in the eye when they speak to you anymore? Very few indeed…

 

How Are They Doing It?

You look around and observe that everyone else seems to be functioning effortlessly and enjoying life. From the outside, they’ve got it made. Great job, devoted spouse, successful kids, and obedient dogs. Good grief, there’s nothing worse than someone who has dogs more obedient than your own children. How in the world do they do it?  

 

Social media portrays a skewed story. It’s a highlight reel after all, but that doesn’t stop the sinking feeling you get when reading through exclamations of victory and euphoria. The posts are nauseating – new vehicles, promotions, exciting vacations. It’s all you can do to ‘LIKE’ the post, but you don’t want to appear sour or resentful, so you force yourself to play the part. There aren’t many who post about their awful lives, and when the few exceptions do, you chalk them up to complainers and whiners. Certainly no reason to be jealous of them, right? Besides, you’ve got your own issues to deal with.

 

And the ironic part? Most of the people around you are thinking exactly the same thing about you. And your Job. And your spouse. And your kids. And maybe even your dog! It sure looks good from the outside looking in.

 

You are NOT alone

We all have issues, we all have challenges, and we all have disappointments. But we also all do things which breed the prevalence of TROUBLE in our lives. Unknowingly or intentionally, we often sabotage any chance for true  joy and peace. We’ve got to take responsibility for our attitudes, behaviors. actions, and reactions.  It’s time to scrap ignorance or the ‘professional victim’ mentality and take a stand in the fight against TROUBLE.

 

Harsh? Perhaps. But wasting the precious gift of life with an unfulfilled, miserable existence is pretty awful in and of itself. My mom used to tell me that she’d take the worst truth over a good lie any day. This principle has stuck.

 

[Tweet “I’ll take the worst truth over a good lie any day!”]

 

So instead of ignoring the problem or denying its existence, let’s attack it head-on. In this spirit, I’ve come up with ’20 Days of Trouble’, addressing what I perceive to be the most prevalent reasons for self-induced anguish in our lives.   

 

How To Follow Along

Each day check in with us on social media. To begin, ‘LIKE’ our Declutter Now! Facebook page or ‘Follow’ us on Twitter. Once this is done, you’ll see the ‘Trouble Topic’ posted each day. I’ll name the culprit, briefly discuss the negative impact, and offer solutions for decluttering the behavior and embracing positive change. Posts will be straightforward, concise, and beneficial.

 

20 Days of Trouble - blog pic

 

Sometimes we simply need awareness and insight. Other times truth spoken in love is necessary. And there are times when a swift kick is required to get the job done. I hope you find each day a valuable and encouraging combination of all you need to make helpful and constructive life changes.

 

Don’t let Joy Stealers steal your joy! There IS a choice and a better way. Join us tomorrow and begin decluttering the negative attitudes and behaviors that are holding you back. Together, let’s overcome TROUBLE!

 

 

**For Facebook, after ‘LIKING’ our page, be sure to hit the drop down arrow next to the ‘LIKED’ button and check the appropriate selections for ‘Posts in News Feed’ and ‘Notifications’. This will ensure you don’t miss any of the daily ‘Trouble Topics’.

 

 

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