"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Did you know that you have control over your own joy and your own happiness? That's right. It's all up to you. We sometimes think that our circumstances, or other people, control our happiness and our joy, but that's only true if we allow it to be that way. Let me give you an example: A few years ago a situation happened where some very hurtful things were said and done to me and my family that caused a tremendous amount of heartache. The people involved never knew how much pain was caused by the choices they made, or by the words they spoke. The situation that surrounded this incident was one of the most painful things me and my family have been through. I carried those hurtful words around with me for a very long time. I allowed that situation to affect my happiness. I allowed that situation to take away my joy. I even allowed that situation to affect my health. You may be thinking, that's crazy, why would you do that? I didn't understand at the time, that I could actually determine how I would let that situation affect me. I had yet to understand that no one can "make" me feel a certain way without my consent. I didn't know that I am not responsible for other people's feelings, actions, or words. Other people do not have the power to make us feel anything other than what we allow them to. Yes, other people can influence what we believe, but we have control of what we choose to believe, and how we respond to what we believe. What you believe about yourself will determine how you handle situations that come up. What you believe about yourself can cloud how you see and hear things, emotionally. If you believe you aren't good enough, then no matter what other people do or don't do, you will always feel that way. What you believe, is tied to how you feel. It's not about how others see you, it's about how God sees you, and how you see yourself. I had to get to a point of asking myself if I wanted to continue to live this way, or was I finally fed up enough to make a change. I had to finally realize that it's okay to allow myself to feel the negative emotions because that's the only way to deal with them, but not to allow them to determine my happiness and joy. I had to finally realize that I have no control over what others say about me and sometimes it's better just to walk away from certain situations. We have the power to examine and change what we believe. By changing what we believe, we can change our responses to situations and to others. So, what do you believe about yourself? Do you see yourself the way God does, or have you listened to a bunch of lies? Have you allowed the situation you're going through, or other people, to determine your happiness? We can't always control our circumstances, but we can control our responses, and how we choose to allow them to affect us. Don't let others determine your happiness. Don't let what others say about you determine your worth and value. Aristotle said, "Happiness depends upon ourselves." You've got the power!
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