The Lord said, "Be of good cheer" maybe there's more to that than just turning your frown upside down. Join Judy as she shares an ancient wisdom to increasing longevity by walking on the bright side.

Welcome friends to the Creative Spiritual

Journey podcast, where GUI and I walk

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with you for just a moment and share

the things of our heart, the joys and

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lessons we're discovering along the way

of this marvelous journey and the small

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steps we can take to follow the savior.

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I am Judy Cooley, your

host for this episode.

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Looking on the bright side.

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When I just said that, did the tune

always look on the bright side of life?

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Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do.

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Come to mind.

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I'm recording this episode two days

before GI and I with our fabulous

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man, our husbands Lee, for a 10 day

backpacking trip down Grand Gulch, Utah.

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That means these next two episodes

will be released while we are

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wandering somewhere in the wilderness.

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There's a lot of planning that

goes on before setting out

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on an adventure like this.

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Where

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that you think you might need,

you carry in your backpack.

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The food is the trickiest.

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I usually don't know what I'm

fixing for dinner any given day,

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let alone plan and think out.

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Light weight, calorie dense food for 10.

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Ah.

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And then there's also the weather.

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What to wear to be prepared

for extreme hot or cold and

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still keep your pack light.

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There is a science, my friend

behind packing the backpack.

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Every ounce counts and all I want is

my fluffy pillow, my comfy chair, and

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fresh fruit, which always way too much.

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So I have to settle for an

inflatable pillow, a floor

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mat, and freeze dried food.

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Uh, it will be a wonderful adventure

though, and I'm looking forward to the

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time and nature with the people I love.

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Interestingly, while creating this

episode, I came across a Darren Podcast

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episode that piqued my interest.

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The episode was titled The Daily

Habit That Will Extend Your Life.

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you know how I love

talking about Daily Habits?

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Do you wanna know what this is?

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I'll get to that in a minute.

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Here's a hint, it's not backpacking.

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At the same time, I was asked

to teach a meditation class

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at a women's state conference.

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The theme, A Perfect Brightness of

Hope, which is one of my favorites,

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found in the Book of Mormon.

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You must press forward with a

steadfastness in Christ, having

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a perfect brightness of hope and

a love of God and of all men.

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to me.

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This is the daily habit that

can improve your quality of

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life, faith pressing forward.

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A perfect brightness of hope and

a love of God and each other.

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So do you wanna know the secret

elixir of life according to some

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brainiacs, you know, they say people.

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First, you need to know that I don't

believe in quick fixes or one size

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fit all formulas, but I do believe in

eternal principles and spiritual patterns

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that are just truths in God's plan.

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It's so simple, practical,

and it's a proven technique to

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transform your life for the better.

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Do you really, really wanna know?

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Are you yelling?

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Yes.

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Tell me, Judy, are you ready for it?

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Brace yourself because.

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I'm about to shine the bright

rays of enlightenment upon you.

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The key to living a longer,

more fulfilling life lies in the

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power of your sunny disposition.

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Or, as the Lord said, lift up

your hearts and be of good cheer.

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I believe it is a spiritual gift to

be able to look on the bright side.

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And this is also

contagious, don't you think?

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Being happy and joyful is contagious,

and you're not only adding years to your

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life, but you will also help hold up

your light to your fellow travelers like

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the savior said to hold up your light.

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Now I know what you're thinking.

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Come on Judy.

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That sounds a little too Pollyanna-ish.

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And more like Yogi Mumbo jumbo

optimism can extend your life.

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Well, so can eating cod liver oil.

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Have you ever tasted cod liver oil?

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But It is the brainiac at the Boston

University and Harvard Studies have

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proven that being more optimistic

and hopeful for the future can

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help people live up to 15% longer.

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That is like adding a decade or more

to your life sounds like science is

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catching up to what ancient scriptures

have been telling us all along.

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Looking to Christ and having a

perfect brightness of hope and loving

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others, not only increases happiness

but our life here on this earth.

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It's the good news.

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So.

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How do you officially turn

your frown upside down and

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become the ultimate optimist?

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The great news is that

optimism can be learned.

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Yes, even at our age,

optimism can be learned.

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One study found that it only

takes five minutes a day.

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I think we can find that spending

just five minutes per day focused.

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Imagining on becoming your best possible

self in your life, your personal

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relationships, in your work, in your

day-to-day choices and things like

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meditating on positive affirmation

and choosing joy for the day can

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boost your optimism significantly.

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And hey, lucky you, that's exactly

what GI and I are hoping you discover

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each morning in the scriptures.

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Prayer and riding along with

the meditations we share.

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But you showing up each morning to ponder,

to mindfully breathe, to ponder and ask

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to seek inspiration, to visualize your

best possible self in one or several

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areas in your life will improve your life.

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And it also creates a space where

you're becoming more like the savior.

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But that's not all.

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There's another easy to-do, bad

mood buster at your disposal.

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You're ready.

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Are you ready for some

more additional good news?

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And this is one of my favorite things.

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A 30 minute walk outside, get outdoors.

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Get outta your head.

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That's right.

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A simple walk outdoors can annihilate

your negative thoughts and lift your mood.

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Psychologist.

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Call this the antidote to rumination.

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Rumination is the act of.

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Overanalyzing everything in your life.

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Have you seen those shirts that say,

give me a moment, let me overthink it.

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Something like that.

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That's me, which can lead to a vicious

cycle of negativity, walking and being.

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In the great Outdoor disrupts

this chaotic chatter feedback

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loop that's swirling in your head.

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It elevates your mood and helps you focus

on what's good and right about your life.

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But in order to boost and increase the

power of getting outside and moving

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is to make it a meditation walk,

listening to the sounds of nature,

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having a conversation with the Lord

by leaving your phone at home if

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possible, and learning to hear him.

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And number three.

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Is to make a conscious effort

to look on the bright side.

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Whenever you find yourself in a

challenging situation, or feeling

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down, make a deliberate choice

to focus on the positive aspects.

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Just ask yourself, what

is great about this?

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Have you ever tried that?

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What is great about this?

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And if nothing is great, then you can

ask yourself, how can I make this great?

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And if there's still nothing you

can do 'cause it's out of your

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control, then ask, how can I be

great in how I respond to this?

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Because our response is always our choice.

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This will take practice one way of

doing this for me, I have discovered

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in journaling there is a healing

power in asking yourself those

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questions and writing things out.

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Interesting.

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I've learned in an emotional resilient

class lately that one of the wrong

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things to say to someone going through

a rough time is, Hey, look on the bright

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side, here's some cookies I made you.

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It's not the best way to validate

what they are feeling and surely not

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showing empathy for what dealing with.

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So maybe instead ask what is

helping you get through this?

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And just listen.

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There's great.

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Power in listening, whether it's

listening to a friend in a rough

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time, or listening while in meditation

or listening in prayer, listen.

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The reality is when we are in

a really dark space, the sunny

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disposition feels so far out of reach.

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It might as well be on the moon,

This is where the only person who

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can possibly understand soothe.

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And redeem us is the savior.

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Focusing on him and turning

to him can bring the light

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of joy back into our hearts.

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See, it's simple steps.

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Not always easy admit, but they are

small and simple steps that can lead

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to great things and we can do it.

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Understanding these truths in our head

and in our hearts, we can take the

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next step armed with the knowledge.

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To transform our life for the

better and walk in the light.

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It's time to step up and take action

and own 100% of our choices and

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step into a perfect brightness,

A perfect brightness of hope.

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The future is yours.

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Okay, A quick review to creating a

sunny mindset and a brightness of hope

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consists of three daily simple steps.

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One.

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Showing up each morning and some kind

of visualization, like meditative

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prayer, a practice that helps set your

face towards the light, where you can

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visualize being cheery and bright.

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Why the morning?

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Because it's the beginning of a new day.

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And so each morning you'll ignite your

mind and calibrate your eyes for the day.

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Focusing on Christ,

focusing on what's good.

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Visualize your best self.

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In your life becoming an open vessel

to receive his light and love into your

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heart and put a shine on your face,

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This is also a great time to

be feasting in the word of God.

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Have you ever noticed how

optimistic Jesus Christ is?

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He says, yeah.

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Here we go, John 16.

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In the world you shall have

tribulation but be of good cheer.

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I have overcome the world in

the doctrine covenants be of

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good cheer little children.

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For I am in the midst and

I have not forsaken you.

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Be of good cheer and do not

fear for I the Lord and with

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you in Matthew be of good cheer.

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It is I be not afraid and

it acts be of good cheer.

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Paul.

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Be in good cheer Judy.

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It is my new motto.

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This will take practice.

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This will also train your mind

to expect the best and set

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your path walking in his light.

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Remember last episode I talked about

the natural man's negative bias and how.

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When we remember the good we did

in the day, and we give thanks for

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the blessings that we received.

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This also increases the light

in our hearts and minds and

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sit our feet on the sunny side.

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Okay, number two, get out and move.

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Go for a 30 minute walk outside

every day, rain or shine.

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This will not only improve your

mood, but also help you achieve

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that recommended, 150 minutes.

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Or a thousand steps, whatever it

is to help you, to reach that

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longer life and fewer health issues.

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See if you can do it.

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Unplugged, my friend, from your phone.

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I believe you can do it.

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And number three, Ask yourself

what is great about this?

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If nothing is great, then ask,

how can I make this great?

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If there's nothing you can do, then ask,

how can I be great in my response to this?

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You have a super power of agency.

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love is a choice.

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Hope is a choice, and joy is a choice.

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Are you ready to rise up and shine

your bright light of hope and

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optimism to the world around you?

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Now?

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I hope so, because the people around

you are looking to you as their beacon.

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Have you ever been in a deep dark

cave and they turn off all the lights?

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It can be pretty

terrifying in the darkness.

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It's so thick, you can feel it,

and then a small little light is

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turned on and it's amazing how much

comfort just a small light can bring.

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Think about if we all

shined our brightest,

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It would have the power to chase

away all darkness from our hearts.

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It's time for us to shine friends.

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Always look on the bright side of life.

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Oh my heavens.

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I, I just googled the lyrics to that song

and realized it comes from Monty Python

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and is sung by man hanging on a cross.

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So siles, but jokes on them.

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Christ said that he endured the

cross through the joy set before him.

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So let me end with lyrics maybe

a little more appropriate.

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Jesus wants me for a sun beam

to shine for him each day.

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Oh, I can't believe I'm singing.

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You have a divine light to shine.

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So shine, shine, shine, shine.

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And I'll see you on the trail.