“A major cause of negative thinking and poor mental health is self-absorption.”

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2000-03-08) from his book, Failing Forward: How to Makethe Most of Your Mistakes (p. 102). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

It is so easy to be self-absorbed isn't it?  

John says, “Selfishness ultimately hurts not only the people around a self-focused person, but also the selfish person himself. It inclines the person toward failure because it keeps him in a negative mental rut.”  Man that is the truth. I read so much of that on Facebook.

So how do you get out of this negative mental rut?  John tells of a response by Dr. Karl Menninger when asked, “‘What would you advise a person to do if he felt a nervous breakdown coming on?’ Most people expected him to reply, ‘Consult a psychiatrist,’ since that was his profession. To their astonishment, Menninger replied, ‘Lock up your house, go across the railway tracks, find someone in need, and do something to help that person.’”

John then says, “Developing a giving spirit, as Menninger implied, helps a person to overcome some feelings of deficiency in a positive and healthy way. That's why Menninger believed that ‘generous people are rarely mentally ill people.’ A person is less likely to focus on himself if he is trying to help someone else.”

We are leading up this week to Good Friday and Jesus death.  He could have been living from a negative standpoint.  I hear so many people talking about life not being fair and Jesus could have said that but He didn’t.  He had come to this world to give His life away.  And that is why we are here.  This is a test.  And the reward is so great.  There is a resurrection in our lives.  But it starts with stopping being so self-absorbed.

“For God so love the world that He gave His only Son.”  Giving is a part of a Christian’s living.

So what will your focus be this week?