Learning To Be Positive Series

Parting With Debbie Downer:

Learning to be Positive

Psalm 118:24

Debbie Downer Video Clip

In May of 2004, Saturday Night Live introduced the character of Debbie Downer to the world.

Debbie’s last name is taken from the Slang for Downer – which refers to someone who persistently adds bad news or negative feelings to a gathering, thus bringing down the mood of everyone around them.

In every skit, we find Debbie in a happy, joyful environment, and within moments she is bringing up horrible facts, or pointing out the negative in life…after every comment, you here the orchestra play…wah, wah…

The skit became an instant classic. People loved it because, as they say, comedy imitates life.

We all know people like Debbie. People who just bring others down. Sometimes we call them Debbie Downers, sometimes we call them Eeyore.

If they bring you down too much, you might not call them at all.

Maybe that personality describes you today. Maybe you tend toward the negative in life.

You’ve lost your joy, life never seems to work out for you, everywhere you look, you see unhappy tidings.

I have to admit, there are times in my life when I can get a little melancholy and see the glass as half empty, rather than half full.

About two months ago, I was telling a friend of mine about something that was going on in my life and in the middle of my story, she went…”wah, wah”.

I said, what was that for? She said, because you’re being a “Debbie Downer!”

She was right.

If that describes you today, then I want to encourage you to turn over a new leaf, starting this morning. With God’s help, you have the power to change your outlook.

Romans 12:2, says that we should be “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind.”

Ephesians 4:23 says, “let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”

Abraham Lincoln said, “A man is about as happy as he makes up his mind to be.”

The question is: how we can become more positive in our lives.

Here are a few keys in choosing to be positive.

1. Ask God to help you

Dear God,

So far today, I’ve done all right.

I haven’t gossiped, and I haven’t lost my temper.

I haven’t been grumpy, nasty or selfish.

But in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed and that is when I’m going to need a lot of help.

Life is difficult. We all have problems. We all have our battles to fight.

There are times that we feel so overwhelmed, we feel like we’re drowning.

But if you’re going to choose to live with a positive attitude, you’ve got to ask God for help.

In Chapter 4 of Philippians, Paul tells us to petition God with our requests.

In Chapter 3, Paul reminds us that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

2. Start your day off with the right mindset

Every morning, my grandpa wakes up and recites Psalm 118:24

“This is the day the Lord has made. [I] will rejoice and be glad in it.

It’s amazing what can happen in our lives when we are intentional about the way we chose to view life.

Everybody faces good days and bad days. How we choose to live will make all the difference.

“Attitude Is Everything” by Francie Baltazar Schwartz

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."