This post is the sixth in a series hosted by UC Berkeley’s TAUG and the Claremont Colleges’ hearhere. In this weekly series, staff writers from both journals will be sharing their perspectives on the COVID-19 global pandemic. Click here for more information on hearhere.
Every day for the past three weeks in quarantine I have made my bed after waking up. It’s a very small thing, something that a large percentage of the population already does. However, much to the disdain of my mother, I have always kept a messy room. Three weeks ago, you could probably count on two hands the amount of times I made my bed in the morning. But one day I realized that when my bed was made, it made my room look a lot better, and I felt really good about finally putting the decorative pillows to use instead of letting them collect dust on my floor. Making my bed when I wake up has become something of a habit. The first week I started it, I was aware of what I was doing, that I was taking the time to straighten the comforter and throw a soft blanket on top before arranging the pillows. Now, I wake up and don’t even think about what I’m doing. Instead I think about what I’m getting for lunch (since quarantine usually has me starting my day at noon). If I keep it up, I think to myself, making my bed will become something I can’t start my day without; it will become a subconscious pattern. I am certainly not the only one taking advantage of this time to make little improvements. A quick scan of any social media outlet will show that people have found very creative ways to keep their minds occupied in this season of being stuck inside. People have found new hobbies and invented new challenges in an effort to make the passing days more worthwhile. Contrary to popular belief, though, research suggests that it takes about 66 days to form a habit, not 21. Sixty-six seems like a lot, but the act of ingraining something into a subconscious act takes time and patience. The great thing about creating healthy habits is that it’s never too late to start and it gets a little easier every day. I have been thinking about a few passages in Scripture a lot lately that I think speak to creating one of the healthiest habits of all: positive thinking. In the book of Phillipians, a letter from the apostle Paul, he writes to the church in Philippi saying, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things" (Phillipians 4:8). In another letter to the church in Corinth, Paul writes, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 5). It’s pretty obvious that the way we think shapes our everyday lives, and both of these verses speak into that. From a scientific perspective, positive self-talk has been shown to improve confidence, focus, and endurance in everyday life. As college students, it’s easy for us to get trapped by our own negativity and complaints. Berkeley students and students at many elite colleges and universities have a reputation of priding themselves on being miserable. For me personally, it’s easy to tell myself to “think positive thoughts” one moment, then slip back into a circle of negativity the next. The concept of taking every thought captive then seems daunting, especially during this pandemic. Is it really possible to only think about what is true, lovely, and admirable? Alone, we cannot do it. But by God’s grace and through His wisdom, we can form habits even when it seems impossible. The creation of any habit starts with wanting to reach a goal and then making the effort to work toward it. People who run marathons (not me) did not get to where they are overnight. They wake up, train, and make sure they are fueling their bodies well. I am not an expert on running marathons or positive thinking by any means, but I would argue that the process is similar. When you read 2 Corinthians 5:10, we see that every thought has to go through a sort of “test.” It has to jive with the Word of God. If any thought fails that test, we are to actively mold it into something else that will. That is like the “training” aspect of positive thinking. If we can pluck out or reshape the thoughts that are negative or untrue, it stands to reason that more positive thoughts will be the result. We have to “fuel” our minds with the Word of God in order to do this. It would be impossible to inspect each thought without knowing the criteria we are measuring it against. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” In order to rewire our brains to think godly thoughts, the Word of God must renew us every day. Just like it makes me feel good to put my decorative pillows to use, it also gives me joy to be using passages from the Bible to test my thoughts and reframe my thinking. Rather than letting the Bible collect dust on the nightstand, we can use it not only to deepen our relationship with God, but also as the filter that keeps us from falling into destructive downward spirals. If we allow it to, the Bible will remind us what is true, lovely, and admirable. This is not to say that we should not feel and work through all of the bad moments in life. Our emotions are God-given; mourning and grief are certainly valid, especially at a time like this. However, some thoughts are unhelpful, holding us back from what God has in store. Thinking things like, “I am not good enough” and “I can’t do this” doesn’t lead to anything productive. Dwelling on the past and things we can not change has the same effect. In this challenging time, I would argue that it is more important than ever to stay positive. I, along with everyone else, make mistakes every day. Some days, I am really good about controlling my own mind. But there are a lot of days where I allow small things to affect my thoughts, mood, and actions. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” This verse inspires me to rise to the occasion, trusting that God will help me win the war against my own negative thoughts, even if I lose some battles here and there. Sydney Booth is a first-year at UC Berkeley intending to major in Molecular and Cell Biology.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
About the BlogOur blog is meant for anybody who has thoughts on our current semester's theme, updates, events, and more. Archives
April 2024
Categories |