A misbelief is something you are thinking and believing in your life but it is not necessarily the truth concerning the situation. Maybe it is 50% the truth which means you are more than likely assuming something about the situation. Challenge yourself to make it your goal to identify your misbeliefs in your life by being mindful and self aware of where your thoughts and feelings are coming from and how close to the truth on a 100% scale they are.  What we believe about ourselves and others in life is an integral part of our emotional stability. I cannot count the number of times I have worked with someone without any belief or faith in anything, only to find themselves lost in an abyss of emotional turmoil and emptiness. Our faith/belief system is so important. So many times when our faith or belief system is being tested we decide it is not strong enough to hold on to in relationship to the reality we are facing. We might have an anxiety/panic attack or some other emotional breakdown only to find ourselves completely hopeless believing the misbelief. You might even ask yourself afterwards. Why did I let go and stop believing? Most of the time it is because our faith needs to be built up so that it can endure the storms that life brings to us. So when you are under hopeless circumstances next time force yourself to hopefully believe! This is exactly where you need to be in order to strengthen your infrastructure to be more stable.

This concept of misbelieving can be applied to your relationships with your friends, family and even Christ in your spiritual life. Challenge yourself daily to grow by revealing your misbeliefs and honing them to the 90% -100% of what is actually true in each and every case. Watch when you feel weak about something and challenge your misbelief with the truth about what you are believing. This is a great starting point for your building a much stronger mental and emotional infrastructure, and when you might ordinarily be overwhelmed by something you just might overcome it with the truth about the situation. This can lead to a life filled and controlled by joy rather than the fear of what more than likely will never happen.

Phillippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing!

Many of us find it fairly easy to set physical boundaries for themselves, but what about keeping good emotional and mental/cognitive boundaries for themselves? Having healthy emotional and mental boundaries can help you manage your emotions when you sense them spinning out of control. You might find yourself dealing with resentment, bitterness or feeling hurt or misunderstood by someone. So how can you control those stubborn relentless emotions when they are wreaking havoc in your life? Using your awareness and mindfulness to define the root cause of these emotions is the first step. Most of the time these emotions show up and we allow them to set up residence in our hearts and we walk around in life feeling miserable. Try using the Think, Feel, Behavior process or TFB. Being more aware of your thoughts that lead to your feelings, and then trigger your behavior can help you start taking better control of your emotional results. This process can help you have healthier boundaries mentally and emotionally which gives you a healthier balance of emotional living.

Here is an example. Stuart is having a difficult time in life because he constantly finds himself feeling resentment and bitterness towards others. Stuart needs to discern what these thoughts are specifically about and where they are coming from in order to get to the root of his problem. Once he discovers why he is bitter and resentful he can start the process of healing and having healthier emotional/mental boundaries in his life. Forgiveness is usually a key element in this process. Without a forgiving heart you will likely find yourself caught in a trap which is bittersweet. Sometimes we need to forgive the one we are feeling this way towards because it is what is best for you, not because they deserve to be forgiven. This is how we take better care of ourselves when emotions control our lives in negative ways. The toxic results are quite damaging in the long run to your overall mental and emotional well being.

Remember this verse next time your find yourself caught in a unhealthy train of thought: Colossians 3:12,13 Therefore as believers, be tender, kind, humble meek, long suffering and forgiving of each other. Just as Christ forgave you, so also must you forgive.

Anxiety is inevitable in our lives at times. The amount of energy that is expended to try and cope with it can be exhausting.  We might even find ourselves feeling moody & irritable and then that wreaks havoc in our personal lives. So what are some ways of coping with this stubborn, fear driven, prevalent emotion? We spoke about blind spots last week and how they are present in our lives daily. Anxiety and where it is coming from can be a blind spot. You may find yourself consumed with worry/fear concerning overwhelming intrusive thoughts and caught up in a cycle and before you know it you are spiraling out of control emotionally. Maybe you have even experienced a panic attack. Use these three steps to try and slow down the process and become more aware of why you are fearful and anxious in order to start making positive changes towards this.

1. Discern.    Your thoughts, feelings and behavior/reaction to the occurring event

2. Decide.     Why/How are these unhealthy/toxic to your life.

3. Do.              Put into action a new way of thinking, feeling and behaving/reacting.

In Phillipians 4:6,7 it says….Be anxious for NOTHING, but in everything by asking through prayer, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, w/ch surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

You may find yourself stuck in your worry/fear cycle and having a hard time letting go. This is normal and possibly due to the fact that you have developed unhealthy habits of coping with your fear in the past. Don’t give up but keep working towards a breakthrough in your own personal journey to finding the joy that is available to you.