Today my blog doesn’t have much to do with Kingman Arizona Real Estate even though this is real estate in Kingman, Arizona.  In a way, I am going out on a limb and talking more from a personal level.  For many of you that know me, you would say that I stay pretty private.  However, I recently had some simple thoughts that have helped me in my day to day life and I’d like to share them here. I hope that by sharing this, it may encourage you to find a way to stay positive throughout the day and also help battle the negative/sarcastic voices many of us hear.

We wake up every morning and often go through the same mundane process.  It is easy at times to become annoyed that you have to wake up to a noisy alarm clock, child wanting to be fed, or maybe a dog that puts a wet nose on your arm wanting to play.  There are times when you just want to sleep in and forget about the day to day, normal responsibilities that many of  us have. Sometimes I think,  “Man, it would be nice to sleep in past 6am,” or “Don’t I deserve to have a break today?”  

Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up and think of life in the opposite light?   Sure there are people that are forever optimists and always see the glass half full and we need these type of people in life. I  also think we can learn what makes these personalities tick and apply it towards our own lives.

For me, I truly battle the negative thought process every day. I want to think positively and I have been trying hard to establish some new goals and directions in my life, but my mind tends to drift towards the worrisome thoughts that bog me down. Maybe for you it is money,  bills that need paid, or a job you are worried about.  If you have young kids like me, you may be dealing with crazy winter germ battles….I  wonder how my four kids have all rotated every type of cold or flu bug under the sun for a month and a half straight!

Lately, I have been trying to think of new ways to wake up and see the blessings before me….making it easier for me to enjoy the important things in life like my family, as well as my job.  As I was thinking of a way to do this, I told myself that I need to see something that reminds me to stay positive throughout the day.   Pressing start on my Keurig definitely helps,  but coffee only does part of the trick.  What is it that I see each day that would help me?

I went out back one morning to feed the dog and see the sunrise and saw the mountains and canyons behind my house. I thought “this is really beautiful; I see this mountain range every day as the sun comes up and definitely take it for granted….”

As I looked more closely, I saw in one of the canyons some dark black volcanic rocks that most people would overlook.  Some local Kingman, AZ folk may know where I am going with this, but many local Kingmanites don’t know this gem is even in their back yard.   In the rocks there seemed to be a word spelled out and it is very visible but easily overlooked.  The rocks spell the word: JOY. It could have spelled any word in the dictionary or even formulated Chinese dialect.  I think God formed these rocks just to encourage me and others that see it each day.  I now call this local canyon,  “Joy” Canyon.

I thought to myself how many times I have seen this canyon, yet overlooked the rocks. I finally slowed down enough, to take notice.  I can now go outside as a daily reminder and see this formation. It helps me remember that even though we get stuck in our routine and we may not always be happy with the way things are going, we have the decision to make to stay positive and the choice to focus on the blessings that God has placed in and around our lives.  I see it everyday as I leave in the morning and as I return.

I want to encourage you to find your “Joy Canyon”.  It can be a picture you see each day on the wall or even something you drive past every day.  Whatever it is try to find that one thing that reminds you to be thankful, focus on the blessings and encourage others around you.