Happy. Bored. Numb. Excited. Mad. Funny. Confused. Playful.  Disappointed. Rejected. Loved. Weary. Pumped. Content. Alone. Concerned. Hopeful.

Feelings.  They ebb and flow, and can change in a heartbeat.  They are not the truth, but they seem to wield the power of truth, even when they are contradicting. In actuality, feelings are simply emotional responses to what we dwell upon.  We feed them.  And most of the time, we let them drive our behavior like mindless fools, not realizing we’ve given away our own power to enjoy the moments for what they are.  We say, “Fake it ’til you make it” to pretend good where there is evil, but the evil is still the impetus, and when “it” doesn’t change, despair sets in.

Truth is, at every given moment we have the capacity to carry both ends of the spectrum of feelings, and choose to live our life well no matter what those ends look like. Rephrase “Fake it” to “Choose it,” and the whole perspective changes.  Now the impetus is finding joy in the good of the moments.  It empowers you to act in the only space of time you can -now.  You don’t deny the bad, it’s still there, you can’t rid your life of it.  But, you don’t let the bad overwhelm how blessed you still are.  You choose to walk in grace, peace, joy, and loveliness, and your painful feelings will be soothed, rather than stoked. You open your heart to enjoy what beauty there is in your space, even if it’s just the slimmest glimmer of hope.