Create A New Restore Point (for your soul)

I was determined to bring my old laptop back to life.  There was really nothing wrong with it, at least in my mind.   After all, I am closing in on 50, and wouldn’t want anyone to think I can’t stay updated- didn’t my 15-year-old HP deserve the same respect?  So I flipped open the top and began to try to rejuvenate my old friend with all the available updates and upgrades offered on the internet. (Yes, I can picture all you IT techs just shaking your heads as you read this!)

Needless to say, this effort resulted multiple inevitable lock ups of my entire operating system. It was as if the stress of the updates was just too much for my old-timer, leaving him broken and confused. Exhaling a frustrated sigh, I decided it was time to restore the system.  The instructions said to choose a restore point when things were “running properly”.  A pretty simple philosophy… a basic, reasonable practice that could restore more than just my computer.  A practice, I determined, that could also benefit my own spirit and well-being.

Like our computer systems, the updates in life can put a strain on our own operating systems.  The stress of keeping up with the world, staying up to date with the latest trends, expectations, and general pace of our society can wreak havoc on our internal hard drives.  Some days it can just be too much.  The trick is to set a restore point from our past and remember to return there when our systems are in need of a reboot!

We all have a time, a memory, a song….something that just brings us back to a calm state.  A place in your psyche that slows down your breathing, brings the corners of your mouth up just a pinch. A point in your life when the outside world didn’t seem so loud and you can focus on the blessings and positive aspects of the smaller, yet most important aspects of your life. It’s so important to mark those restore points in your memory.  Make a conscious effort to  bookmark these points in your mind and tell yourself.. “that’s the place to go when my operating system is in crisis”.

The need to reboot can vary.  It can be anywhere from a mild bad day and need for an attitude adjustment… all the way to the recognition of the beginning of a deep depression looming at your souls door, taunting you with negative thoughts and beckoning bad habits and self-doubt.

My most significant point, the place I need to go when I really feel the negative voices screaming in my mind, would be taking myself back to the time I was in treatment for my breast cancer.  You might think that would be a troubling place to go when I am feeling overwhelmed and teetering on the brink of a depressive episode.  But the truth is, that was a time that I found myself to be stronger than I ever expected to be.  It was a time when I didn’t know my fate for the next year and I was forced to do some reflection on my past, and I liked what I saw.  The true treasures in my life came into focus and I was reminded of how blessed I truly was.   My husband and I had deep conversations about where our lives have taken us and where we want to be in our future, no matter how long God’s plan allows that future to be.  When I need a full reboot – a true restart, that is my restore point.

Of course not all reboots need to be that drastic.  Sometimes we just need a little boost to get us back on track.  We all have our bad days.  Days when, for no clear reason, we feel down, or angry or depressed.  For me, I have found the key is to not let the negativity take root.  Push it out as quickly as it appeared.  Restore points are great tools to exterminate those feelings.  Some days all I need is to see a picture of my grandbabies… that is a quick restore point for me.

Find yourself a restore point, or two.  Avoid the viruses that loom out there.  Make a conscious effort to reboot your system when you start to feel the stress and overload of the world’s updates.  Prayer and Restore Points are great tools to keep your spirit’s operating system running smoothly and allowing you to Thrive Through Faith One Day At A Time.