Advice for one, good for all

I had written the following in a private email to someone, but it was such good advice I thought I would share it publicly here. Enjoy!

To preface the following, I am writing to someone who is in chronic pain from a car accident as well as diabetic. She has been unable to keep steady work and is in danger of losing her health insurance as well as her home. Naturally, these worries are eating her alive and making her even more ill, so the spiral just keeps sucking her down.

Here is where the email begins. She had told me that she was in her nightgown, and was doing nothing. My response:

...now I'm the one in PJ's.
But I'm NEVER doing NOTHING. Perhaps that is part of what keeps you sick.

Let me explain...

Because you often find yourself with too much time on your hands, it gives you empty, or "negative" space to fill, if you will. Because the space is already negative to begin with, unless you find something positive to fill it with, the negativity of that empty space in your schedule soon begins to overwhelm you.

The solution? It's multiple.
1. Remember that old song? "Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative... latch on to the affirmative, don't mess with Mr. In-Between"? LEARN IT, if you don't know it... and sing or recite this to yourself. IT WORKS.

2. Write. Write, write, write. What do you know about? Write about that. Re-read your material as often as you can stand... and edit to make it as positive as possible. However, do not gloss over anything that should be examined. Take a good look at anything terribly negative that you've written and let it speak to you. Let it teach you its lesson.

3. Volunteer. You can come to the IGFA with me and I'll introduce you around. If not there, I am certain your skills will be welcomed at a number of local charities and for-profit organizations that are severely under budget.

Volunteering has dual benefits. It will make you feel good to help others, and it looks good on a resume. In some cases you may find employment where you've been volunteering. IGFA, for example, has job openings all the time.

Does all of that make sense? It must. It didn't come from me - some of it came through me, so they're not all my words.

I'm home today... Sunday is my gardening/housework day in general, unless I schedule something, which I try not to do more than twice a month...

The rest of the email was more personal, but the gist of what I've written above is this: we attract to ourselves what we dwell upon. Whether you believe in "The Secret" or God's law of reciprocity. We reap what we sow... and Jesus said "Ask and ye shall receive." Therefore: ASK. Ask! It's that simple.

If you're a believer, the Bible furthermore states, "Delight theyself also in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." DESIRES OF THINE HEART. No limitations. Think about THAT a while. What is it that YOU truly desire? Believe that you'll receive it - and you shall.