How Do You Handle Yourself?
That’s the question of the day: How do you handle yourself?
When you’re feeling angry and upset, what do you do? How do you help yourself to feel better?
So many times people take their anger out on others around them. Often times it is the very ones that are supposed to be the closest to them that end up as the target of their anger. This certainly is not the proper way to handle yourself when you’re upset or angry, though.
Do you yell and scream? Do you use a trail of swear words?
Do you even resort to violence when things aren’t going your way? If so, there is a much deeper problem than we are able to help you with here. It is never a good idea to resort to violence of any kind, whether it is aimed at yourself or others. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or others, please seek help immediately. With that said, you can seek assistance through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You may also call them 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 1-800-273-8255
If you feel that you are having trouble handling yourself and your anger, help is available. You do not have to continue to live like this. A resource that I have learned of from being involved with (in)courage is E-Counseling. You can search for a counselor on this site and have sessions via phone or internet sessions. The point is, help is available, even at the tips of your fingers now with counselors readily available to assist you. There are also counselors that you can find in your local area so you can sit down face-to-face with them as well.
If you just feel the occasional stress or anxiety from your work day or even your family life and just need someone to talk to, we are happy here to help in any way that is needed. If you think you would feel better to talk it out and just need to vent, we’re here for you for that. If you need to write it out anonymously and send it to us in the form of comments or an email, that is okay, too. We offer this just so you have an outlet and those feelings don’t stay bottled up inside of you. If you would like prayer, we would be honored to pray for you. Again, if you would like to share anonymously your prayer needs, that is fine. Comments and emails are always welcome: hislightlovehope @ gmail.com or shirley @ lightlovehope.com.
For me, it helps to have a trusted friend that I can talk to and pour my heart out to. Some times it isn’t pretty in the beginning, but they allow me to come to them with the good, the bad, and the ugly. They are there to help, to reassure, to offer a loving hand to hold if needed. There’s nothing like feeling their love surround you. They pray with me, for me, and over me. They pray for protection, for safety, for relief of the stress and anxiety. I also have a friend that believes strongly in meditation and has sent me CDs and books on the subject to try to clear my mind. Other friends go with me to visit the beach where it is always calming and soothing for the soul. Yet another friend has sent me their special sage as they believe strongly in cleansing all of the negativity around me. She’s even prayed over the sage before sending it to me, too.
It is so important to be able to handle yourself in the heat of the moment without going off on those around you or even directing that anger at yourself.
If there is anything the Encouragement Team can do for you at any time, please … PLEASE … let us know. We are always here for you.
Memorial Day
Today we pause to remember the fallen. We say a silent prayer for all of the families and friends that have lost loved ones as they served our country.
It’s not about grilling out, taking the boat out, or pool parties.
It’s about the greatest sacrifice that many men and women have given for the sake of freedom.
Freedom isn’t free! It comes with a huge price that many have paid.
All gave some. Some gave all.
The Power of Encouragement
I’m sure that at some point in our lives we can all say that we could relate to feeling “down in the dumps.” If things haven’t been going our way, as much as we try, we may not always be able to hold our heads up and keep a smile on our faces. We can try really hard, but some times, let’s face it, it’s just hard to breathe let alone force all of the muscles in our faces to do what inside we can’t … smile.
Have you ever really thought about the many “masks” that we wear? We surely can’t allow the world to see how we truly feel, so we hide behind the “masks” and pretend that all is well when inside we’re hurting. Deep within our core, there’s a ache. It … just … hurts!
It’s times like this … more than ever … that we need someone to come alongside of us with encouragement for our hearts. They may not be able to “do” anything about the situation that is troubling us or the sadness that we’re feeling in our hearts. What they can do is love us, encourage us, support us and just be “there.”
There is such power in encouragement! When your heart is hurting, it is quite comforting to feel the loving arms of your friend wrapped securely around you letting you know that they’re there … and they are not letting you go! It helps to have a reassuring hand to hold or even just a voice on the other end of the phone.
When you feel low and as if you can’t figure your own “stuff” out, why not give another the gift of your encouragement? It has been proven that if you are sad, depressed, or hurting that it helps if you reach out to others. It will help you feel better to encourage someone else and love on them a little while. Think of how you’ve felt when others have reached out to you. It’s a beautiful thing to feel the love that another has for you.
Aside from the power of encouragement from a friend, there is great encouragement to be found within the pages of one book in particular. The Bible is full of God’s promises and His love for us. He also speaks about friends in His word:
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
John 15:12-15
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times …
One of my dear friends has been having a hard time lately, and they were feeling especially down today. It hurts when your friends hurt. You want to reach out and help in some way. You offer. You tell them to let you know if there is anything … anything at all … that you can do for them. Then you pray for them and whisper words of encouragement into the universe to them and for them … and they can feel it … they can truly feel the power of encouragement at times like these.
With that said, I’d like to introduce you to the Encouragement Team of Light Love Hope. By clicking here, you will be taken to a new page which will show the beautiful smiling faces of some very important people in my life. These precious souls are here, just as I am, to come alongside you and love you, encourage you, and support you. There are many, many more precious people in my life that are not on the page as writers for this site, yet they continue to speak to my heart on a daily basis. One particular lady that I love and hold so dear to my heart resides many, many states away (Oklahoma), and yet, she’s like my sister. She’s not on this site … yet … as part of my Encouragement Team, but she speaks to my heart on a daily basis. I love her … and I hope she knows without a shadow of a doubt what her friendship means to me.
There IS power in encouragement … such power … such beautiful, overwhelming, life changing power. Share your gift of encouragement with someone today. They will be blessed completely … and so will you in the process!
