Self-pity is a luxury that we cannot afford, and it is bad for our health. The simplest cure is to count what you have left. As children, we used to hum and sing the words to “Count Your Many Blessings.” The positive frame of mind that came when we assessed what we did have rather than focused on what we did not have was always uplifting.

It is good to write your assets down on a piece of paper and think about them from time to time. We train our brains through seeing, hearing and feeling. Writing, and maybe even talking to yourself as you write, will put you in a positive frame of mind. The old question that asks, “Is the glass of water half full or half empty?” reflects this thought. Half full is positive.

Our minds are wonderfully created—perhaps the most marvelous of all the creation—but we can develop good or bad habits of thinking. Self-pity is a bad way of thinking because it robs us of the ability to get on with life. We may wallow in a sea of storms and waves in our lives and never see the sunshine and calm waters that will come.

Calm, decisive, successful action depends on clear thinking. Good thinking is not clouded with doubts and fears. One of the most powerful moments in which God reached into people’s lives was in Jesus’ first message to the masses (Matthew 5-7). He encouraged people to do something about their lives and not lose hope. He said they were the salt of the earth and were to let their lights shine so others may see. Jesus did not leave room for self-pity. He encouraged us to put all our energy into living. Never feel sorry for yourself.