The other day I had a conversation with a customer at work who asked how things were going. I immediately responded saying, “Can’t complain, and if I did, no one would listen.” To which he responded, “That’s right, good way to look at it.”
I didn’t think of it much at all in that moment, but afterwards thought to myself… I responded like that, but am I living like that? See, I had been feeling like I was in a funk, kind of in this lost rut of life, not feeling motivated to do much of anything. I didn’t want to work out, I was frustrated at little things around me, and fed up with work. And goodness did it show. If you’re anything like me, the funk doesn’t just go away after a few minutes or an hour, sometimes it can last days or weeks. I had the realization in that conversation, that for the past couple days I had been mentally not in a good headspace and complaining about every little thing. For what? Sympathy? I don’t think so. Maybe someone to give me the answer to flip my funk? That’s not really possible. No major event had happened, nothing was really different, things in life, for all intents and purposes, were good. Then it hit me, and I started thinking. What lens am I viewing life through? Where are my eyes pointed?”
You see, seasons in life come and go much like the seasons of the Earth. It could be anything. Snow on a fall day. Reminders of a past hurt. The tone that coworker used when discussing a work project. Something triggers you and sets you over the edge. It can be frustrating and can affect many other aspects of your life. Given last week’s message of the unknowns, this seemed fitting because oftentimes, the fear of the unknown can be the cause of these funks. What do we do when we get in a funk? How do we get out of the funk? How do we respond?
The strategy from my experience is to fall back on our base, remember the core of who we are, and use the tools we have developed to overcome adversity. A mental funk can easily be a hurdle seemingly too great to overcome, but that’s because our hearts and our minds are so closely connected. If we are aligned with who we are internally and our vision is fixed on opportunity, our mind will work to achieve that connection. For me, it’s my connection to Christ and where I am at with my faith. Pastor Mark Beeson, of Granger Community Church (the church I’ve called home for the past 20 years), gives this great analogy of wherever your feet are pointed, is where you will end up. He’d say, “If you point your feet in this direction [turning to one side of the stage] and walk this way, you’ll end up over here, and if you point your feet in this direction [turning to the opposite side of the stage] you’ll end up over here.” Such a simple visual aid to follow but, when you really think about it, we operate every day like that. I have found that when I am in a funk, I am typically not pointing my feet in the right direction. I have pointed them away from God, away from his purpose for me and the opportunities in front of me. Essentially, I am taking steps away from God. So when I can redirect my vision, point my feet in the direction I know is right, I am able to draw near to Christ and start to flip the funk.
Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” This verse could not be more accurate or more encouraging when we need to flip the funk! God can be our refuge, and our strength when we are weak. So even when we feel like we are far from him, or we don’t know what the funk is holding us down, we can lean on him.
Another way to help flip the funk is to find a healthy escape. We all have that thing, whatever it is, that allows us to escape reality and go to a place we feel good and fulfilled. I know for some it’s going for a long drive to clear your head. Others, its nature and being away from civilization. For me, it’s working out and getting a good sweat in. But whatever it is, that time can be extremely fulfilling to create a clear mind and head space to dissect the funk and start to work out of it. It may take some time, and it may take a few trips to the woods, or a few loops around town, but whatever your healthy escape is, make the most of it and treat yourself to that time!
WORKOUT
Flipping the funk sometimes requires something challenging. For this workout we are going to push ourselves physically and mentally. To challenge our minds to work to overcome the funkiness of the world through these exercises.
Set up: Go through each block 3x – 40sec work, 20sec rest.
(warmup)
Block 1:
– Squat hold
– Inch worms
– Plank hold from push up position
Block 2:
– Forward hop Burpees
– Mountain Climbers
– Stationary Lunges
Block 3:
– Push-ups
– V-ups
– Alternating Shoulder Taps
(Cool Down/Stretch)
Hammer and Anvil 