Good Day

People often say to each other upon departing ways, "Have a good day!"  Being a positive-thinking person, I came up with an acronym for each of the letters in GOOD DAY, kind of detailing ways we can work toward having a good day every day!  Here goes:

G is for Get with God
O is for Other people are important, too
O is for Order your priorities.
D is for Decide to slow down.

D is for Do one thing at a time.  Multi-tasking is for crazy people!
A is for Always count your blessings!
Y is for Yield your plans to God's will!

Get with God!  Start each day in prayer and Bible study.  It will set your course on a positive path for that day!
Other people are important, too.  Selfishness leads to unhappiness.  If we are constantly thinking about ourselves, we will be miserable.  When we get our minds on other people and their needs, we stop focusing on our own needs.  When we reach out to help others, we end up helping ourselves.
Order your priorities.  Once we get overwhelmed with our To-Do lists, we tend to forget what's really important.  We should not lose sight that people are more important than things.  Slow down enough throughout each day to think about what is truly important and how you can be a blessing to someone.  Think about what you would regret in the future if you did not do it today.  Would you regret not cleaning the toilet or would you regret not sending that birthday card?  Prioritize!
Decide to slow down.  The word "busy" used to be synonymous with "important."  I believe that people used to say how busy they were so that others would think they were important.  However, I believe the meaning has changed.  Busy now means "crazy."  We have been so busy trying to be busy that we have succeeded!  Our society is now so busy that we have lost track of what it means to relax. We no longer are able to relax; we have forgotten how.  Therefore, we are always stressed, and our bodies no longer get sanity time.  Make a conscious decision to cross some things off your To-Do list.  The world won't end if you slow down.  And your heart might last a lot longer if you gain some peace by taking time to relax and just be.
Do one thing at a time.  Multi-tasking is for crazy people!  Lately, I have begun the practice of really focusing on the task I am undertaking at any given time.  If I am washing the dishes, I don't race through it to get to the next task.  I slow down, realize what I am doing, and I wash the dishes at a normal (or should I say godly) pace.  I remind myself that life is not an emergency.  Since I have begun this practice of focusing on what I am doing, I enjoy the moments of the day more.  It takes practice, but it is so worth it!
Always count your blessings!  Always!  Even when you are feeling down, and especially if you are feeling down!  We tend to easily forget how blessed we are.  Did you wake up today? (and I think you did if you are reading this) = blessed.  Do you have food in your cupboard? = blessed.  Do you have clothes to wear? = blessed.  Do you have someone who loves you? = blessed.  Do you have a job? = blessed.  I am sure your list goes on and on in regards to your blessings.  Focus on your blessings.  It's a reminder that things could be a whole lot worse!
Yield your plans to God's will.  Ever hear the saying, "Life is what happens when you're making other plans?"  I'm sure we have all experienced changed plans.  When making our plans, we should always consult The One who knows the outcomes of all our best-laid plans.  God gave us the gift of His Spirit so that we have Someone who is very willing to help guide us.  If you were lost and someone gave you a road map or a GPS, would you toss it out the window or refuse the help?  So why do we refuse to consult God before forging ahead with "our" plans?  Make it a habit to begin each day by asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in accomplishing His will for you that day.  And so we come full circle - G is for Get with God!  Now, my friends, go forth and have a good day!

P.S.  A few other tips:
~ Smiling when we are down helps us feel better--try it, it really does work!  You might end up making someone else's day better by smiling at them, too!
~Unconditional love is almost unheard of today, but we can at least shoot for getting closer to striving for it.  By that I mean striving to give it, not get it.  Instead of getting instantly angry at someone, take a step back, realize they probably have reasons for what they did or said, give them the benefit of the doubt, and think about the many times we disappoint God and he loves us anyway.  God's love for us is unconditional--meaning no conditions.  He may not always like what we do or say, but He never stops loving us.
~Judgmental people are ignorant people.  This is so true.  Which of us truly knows what is going on in someone else's life.  Yet we judge them so quickly, without knowing what is really going on with them.  That's called being ignorant (lacking in knowledge).  Only God has total knowledge of what is going on in someone's life, so only God should be judging.  And I'll bet God is oftentimes an easier judge than we are!
~A new cuss word for society today should be "busy."  Instead of always saying
"I am busy", we should respond "I am blessed!
Sue Menarchek