What a difference a month can make! I just finished reading Joel Osteen’s book I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life, and I am full up with hope, purpose and expectations.

I must confess that I have not always been a Joel Osteen fan. He just seemed extra happy, always smiling and talking about favor. But then a funny thing happened – I got happy, and I wanted to stay that way. Suddenly I found myself making the same decision he does each and every day – I choose to be happy.

It’s not that circumstances are always in my favor. Nor is it that I don’t get disappointed, dejected or hurt. Just like you I get down sometimes, but these days I bounce back a whole lot quicker! The key is I’ve learned to embrace an attitude of gratitude and a spirit of abundance.

Amazingly, I’ve discovered that the gratitude is a LOT easier than the acceptance of abundance. As human beings, we tend to see resources as finite and opportunities as limited. That’s why we’re so crushed when we miss a “once in a lifetime” opportunity. We cannot imagine something so good coming around a second time, let alone something better.

But every once in a while we should stop and examine our beliefs, challenge our paradigms and allow for the possibility of options beyond what we can imagine. Because we can get so stuck in our negative thinking that our mind won’t let our eyes see what God has placed in front of us.

That’s why I loved reading I Declare. It was a moment each day to remind myself of what God has already promised. The book encourages us to make positive declarations about our future, and provides practical examples of where it’s already happened in the lives of others. Each chapter was like getting a 5-minute boost of positive to meditate on throughout the day.

Just this morning, something Joel said at the beginning of the book popped into my head, right as I was about to have a contrary thought!  You believe what you say about yourself more than what anybody else says. That’s why you should send your words out in the direction you want your life to go.

Wow…can you imagine if we did that? If we stopped saying, I can’t change and instead say I am growing more each day. If we stopped calling ourselves fat, and instead say I am working to get myself healthier each day. If we didn’t call ourselves, weak, or a failure, or stupid or any of the other hundreds of unkind things we say about ourselves?

What an amazing life we’d have if we’d learn to use our words to change our situation rather than complain about it. I don’t know about you, but I think I just found a new way to love on me!

Let’s use our voice to affirm our expectations of abundance. Speak words of encouragement into our spirit. And every day, express gratitude for the unlimited opportunities before us.

Loving on Me as I Love You!  ❤

PS – I really enjoyed this book, and I think you will too! It’s a quick read and a great way to get a daily boost of positive. If you decide to pick it up, leave a comment and let us know what you think. Happy reading!

PSS – What’s by your nightstand? Leave us a suggestion of what to read next!