And now a message from Ian, Ben’s son, as we take a little break from politics and look to 2023…

Life can bring us many challenges, and sometimes it can make us question our faith. Whether you are experiencing relationship difficulties, financial hardship, legal problems, job loss, health problems, or political stress, staying hopeful during these hard times is the best option we have as we go down the road of life.

Right now, more than ever, it’s important to embrace a positive and hopeful mindset as much as you can. 2023, I have a feeling, will be a tumultuous year with change for the better for all humanity.

Here are six things to help you stay positive in 2023:

1. Start a list and write down one thing every day that made you smile.

It doesn’t have to complicated, long, or time consuming, just one thing that happened today that made you smile. Perhaps a family member said something funny . . . perhaps something amusing happened when you were out and about grocery shopping or coming home from work . . . or perhaps your pet did something funny like burp or make a weird face . . . just write down one thing every day that made you smile either on a sticky note or in a journal. Read it at the end of the week and smile even more.

2. Make time to watch one thing every day that makes you laugh.

Again, this doesn’t have to be a movie, TV show or anything long. Perhaps it’s that YouTube video of cats doing crazy stuff . . . perhaps it’s your favorite episode of Seinfeld on Netflix . . .  or perhaps it is just your grandchild, son, or daughter doing something or saying something crazy . . . just watch one thing every day that makes you laugh out loud.

3. Read one thing every day that makes you humble.

This does not have to be a book or a long story. Perhaps this is your favorite Bible quote . . . perhaps it’s something you wrote long ago . . . or perhaps it is something your son, daughter, or grandchild wrote for you . . . just read one thing every day that makes you humble.

4. Touch one thing every day that makes you strong in your faith.

This can be your Bible . . . this can be something that your son, daughter or grandchild made for you . . . or this can even be your wedding ring . . . just touch one thing every day that makes you faithful and strong.

5. Eat one thing every day that makes you happy.

This can be your favorite snack . . . a piece of chocolate . . . a piece of cheese . . . or even your holiday favorite meal . . . I’m not condoning gluttony, but embracing comfort food to ease the stress and melt the anxiety.

6. Smell one thing every day that makes you calm.

This can be your favorite candle . . . the smell of a good book . . . the smell of that fresh cup of coffee . . . or even the smell of freshly cleaned clothes . . . just smell one thing every day that makes you calm.

We are sensory beings. Living in our minds fretting about what could happen, what might happen, and what we think should happen, only makes things worse. And when things are worse, heck, who knows what will happen? We are the captains of our own ships—we decide where our boat of life will go. And I know all of our boats will meet at the island of prosperity, success, love, and happiness.

God bless and stay hopeful.

—Ian Garrison

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