Remedy for a Crushed Spirit

Recently I saw a 61 yr-old gentleman who lost his job
back in May of last year. Whenever a long period of
time has passed without a job I always suspect more life
issues to be lurking in the sidelines. (Yes, even in
this economy.) This was confirmed once again. He told me
his wife left him four months ago, his daughter (“the joy
of my life”) got married and moved away five months ago,
his investments are now worth less than half what they
were 3 years ago, He had worked for the same company for
36 years and then they let him go with a small severance
package, he’s unconnected at his church and feels “rejected
on all sides.” He made the last monthly payment three weeks
ago on his dream house that now must be sold to settle the
divorce and he’ll likely move into an apartment in town.

Where do we go from here? Proverbs 18:14 tells us “A man’s
spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who
can bear?” Or in the Living Bible it says “what hope is left?”

Each area of our lives requires that we are making deposits
of success. Even tiny withdrawals with no replacement
deposits will lead to bankruptcy in relationships, physically,
spiritually, and socially as well as in jobs and finances.
I know that in crisis the area of most pain gets most of our
attention. But often it is by making extra deposits in other
areas that a person can springboard back to success in even
the most critical ones.

My advice:

* Set aside time for vigorous physical exercise. Walk
3 miles each day – it will help wash away anger and stimulate
positive creativity. Smile while you walk -- and notice all
birds, trees and children.

* Seek out a Godly mentor. Much of the success of AA has
been in having another person to call in the lowest times.
Don’t isolate yourself. Maintain strong family and friend
relstionships.

* Reduce TV watching and instead read or listen to
inspirational material at least 2 hours daily.

* Volunteer for a worthy cause. Helping someone else in
need is a great way to ease the inward pain.

* Forgive everyone in your life. Make peace with your past.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

* Get a job – even if it’s not your dream job or a great
career move. Deliver pizzas or work in the garden department
at Home Depot – to get moving in a positive direction while
you continue to build for long term success. Yesterday’s
Nashville Tennessean lists 1814 jobs – and we know that listed
jobs represent only about 12% of what’s available at any given
time; thus there are over 15,000 positions waiting to be filled
in this average sized city.

* At the end of each day, complete these two sentences:
"Today I am thankful for......"
"Today my most significant accomplishment was......."

I recognize that some losses are irretrievable and an overload
of pain is debilitating. If you recognize multiple withdrawals in
your life, take drastic measures to stop the hemorrhaging – start
making deposits in the areas you can control – today!

- Dan Miller, 48 Days