I’m noticing a trend today (Tuesday) in my e-mails/devotions/podcasts, I think God is trying to tell me something today and I thought I would share incase you need to hear it too.
I am in charge of my attitude, no one else.
I am NOT in charge of anyone else’s attitude.
The first time this was mentioned on Tuesday was in a podcast I was listening to on the way in to work (The Phil Visher Podcast.) PS its also in iTunes. Anyway he said “When we realize we can’t make each other happy and take that pressure off each other then we can truly be happy.” He was specifically speaking in regard to marriage but I think this applies to any relationship, Family, Friends even Co-Workers. Living life with the extra stress of other peoples attitudes is a great way to fail at something everyday. Also if your counting on someone else to make you happy, lets face it they will fail. They can’t read our minds and frankly its not their job.
Once I got to work I ready my With God Devotion by Skye Jethani in it was this verse: Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Be Content with what your have…Why? Because God will never leave you or forsake you. Now granted this is out of context but in truth its the end of a letter and the last chapter (13) is quite a few random closing thoughts. Thoughts that the writer wanted to include because he thought they were important. So take them to heart.
Not to mention my Mom, this is a point she has been trying to get me to understand for a few years now, and just mentioned again to me last week…..
Its hard though. I want my spouse to be happy and when he isn’t its really easy for my attitude to change. When I tell him I’m having a hard day and he does nothing ‘special’ for me I get hurt. When I can’t make him happier I feel like a failure. All of this is because I’m depending on him to make me happy…..while its great when he can, I can’t depend on it. He can’t be my ONLY source of happiness.
So who are you letting control your happy?
This is one of “those lessons”. Something we have to remind ourselves daily. As you said we can’t always make our loved ones happy, nor can they always make us happy. We CAN love them.