Acting As If

Hope is a thirsty flower that thrives best when consistently watered by an optimistic mind.

So what do we do when we’re not feeling very optimistic? We can always pretend. Sometimes acting as if something were true allows it to become a reality in the realm of feeling and emotion. The intention creates the reality. John Wesley, the minister who founded the United Methodist Church, encouraged himself and other ministers to “Preach until you believe.” Rev. Wesley preached continually but, nonetheless, floundered in his faith until well into his ministry, when he experienced a “warming of the heart.” I can only guess that John Wesley hoped he would eventually find the faith he wanted and, as a result, preached and acted as if it were true until his hope became a reality.

Acting as if isn’t cheating; it’s simply making a decision to opt for “up” rather than “down.”

For example, even if only mouth-deep, a smile can lift our spirits, especially when it’s returned. Strangers are good people to practice on because they take us at face and smile value. Walking around a little lake recently, feeling as low as a turtle tummy, I decided to practice “as if” on the woman walking toward me. Generating a grin, I said, “Aren’t we lucky to have a place like this to walk?!” Her return smile and comment were so upbeat that I felt my mood elevate in response.

And I found myself seeing my surroundings with a heightened sense of appreciation, and feeling luckier and more upbeat, as a result.

Our minds are indiscriminate eaters. What we feed them, they believe.

Excerpted from How to Stay Upbeat in a Beat Down World by Sue Patton Thoele. Available on Amazon.