Raining Sunshine

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day. It made it very easy to move through the day full of joy. I also noticed a big difference in many other people's attitudes. I participated in several conversations at the Soup & Serenity program that were full of praise for the gorgeous weather. As I continued my day with a few errands, everyone seemed to be just plain happy. It was a perfect day to have off from work...

However, this morning was a different story. The weather was wet and dreary. There was not a single ray of sunshine in sight. It was difficult trying to wake up and start my day with the same energy as the previous day. From the minute I crawled out of bed, I was fighting the urge to let the rainy weather influence my mood.

After recognizing how much it was affecting me, I took some time to reflect on my attitude. I considered the thoughts I was having and the feelings I was experiencing. I identified that there was a challenge in front of me that definitely could help me grow stronger.

Before I left for work, I had decided that I would do everything I could to carry the same positive attitude I was blessed with yesterday. Even though it was dark and rainy, I wanted to live like it was raining sunshine. I put a smile on my face and thought about all the wonderful things in my life for which I am grateful.

Not only did it make me feel better, I think I was able to pass some of the energy on to those around me. As the morning progressed, I had forgotten that the day started with rain clouds. My heart was full of the same joy that the sunshine brought into my life 24 hours earlier. I had reset the tone of my day through my thoughts and actions.

I know that it can be tough to live with a steady stable attitude and a heart full of joy. There will be times in life when the sun simply isn't shining, and things are not quite working out how we expected. However, it is at those times that we should rise above and live like everything is absolutely beautiful. With complete trust in God, we can find sunshine in every situation.