Paul tells us how we should think. God knew we were not naturally positive and He wants us to learn to think that way. We all have troubles, but you have a choice. If you will meditate on the good things in life, you'll start to notice other good things. It's reminiscent of something called the "Reticular Activating System". Our bodies, under this system, are heightened to pick up on things in our surroundings that we may be focused most on. For example, you may have never noticed the model and color of the car you later bought driving around or parked in a parking lot. But, as soon as you bought it, you saw dozens of the same car. The bottom line with this is that if you start focusing on God's blessings, you'll start to notice more of them. You may even be creating more of His blessings!

Are you on a Blessing Cycle or a Cursing Cycle? It's simply a choice! Let's look at some statements that you might be making--which list sounds more like you?

Cursing Cycle
I'm never going to be happy again.
It probably won't work.
This always happens to me.
It must be nice.
I hate myself.
I could never do that.
I just have to learn to accept my limitations.
It's not my fault; it's theirs.
That's just my luck.
I'm living proof of Murphy's Law.
No one's willing to pay me what I'm worth.
It's hopeless.

If you continue in this cycle, then manipulation, anxiety, mood swings, impulsive behavior and distorted reality will take you over. All of these thoughts are based on lies. If you believe those statements are true, are they really true? If you continue to believe these things, your brain will give credibility to those thoughts and buy into them. When you don't "check" your thoughts, you fall victim to lies. They are not from God. Here's the test: If a thought causes you to think like a victim rather than a victor, it's not from God.

Blessing Cycle
I expect the best and it shows.
I am responsible.
I accept and receive what life has to offer.
I believe in the most perfect outcome.
I expect abundance now and forever.
Everything I need, God has already given to me.
I'm making progress.
I pray for others.
With God on my side, I cannot lose.
My relationships are strong and growing stronger.
I'm learning a lot through this experience.
I give all of my troubles to God and He will take care of them.

How about thinking these thoughts instead?

To meditate is to think deeply, review, replay and talk to others about your thoughts. So, do you meditate on thoughts from the Cursing Cycle or the Blessing Cycle?

Which of these most describe how you think on a daily basis:

When the company starts paying me better, then I'll...
When my spouse starts treating me better, then I'll...

OR

I will work harder at my job, then the company will...
I will work harder at my marriage, then my spouse will...

If positivity is what you need right away, then here's the prescription. Answer all five questions completely twice daily to be cured of negativity:

1) What 5 things right now can I thank God for?
2) What are 5 of my gifts or strengths?
3) What are my 5 greatest accomplishments so far?
4) Who are 5 people who love me?
5) What are 5 things I'm looking forward to doing in the next seven days?

Regardless of your previous way of thinking, these questions demand positive answers and will help you meditate your way to positivity! Praise God!