Breaking Free from the Eeyore Syndrome

               The lovable children’s character Winnie the Pooh has a friend named Eeyore.  Eeyore is a donkey who speaks in a monotone voice and is always expressing his pessimistic view of life.  He wears his sadness on his face.  Even his good friends Winnie the Pooh and Piglet are not able to cheer up Eeyore.

            I have met people with this pessimistic Eeyore syndrome.  Everyone has their bad days, but some people have allowed their negative view of life to stick with them, even when things are going well.  Eeyore says things like: “Could be worse, not sure how, but it could be.” Or “End of the road, nothing to do and no hope of things getting better.”  Another quote by Eeyore is: “Don’t worry about me, go and enjoy yourself, I’ll stay here and be miserable.” He also says things like: "I was so upset, I forgot to be happy.”

            God’s Word has wonderful verses that can shake us out of our Eeyore syndrome.  Neh. 8:10 says to us: “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength”.  The joy that the Lord gives us is a source of strength that can help us fight off the gloom and despair that sometimes surrounds us.  Another good verse to erase our pessimism is Jer. 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope”.  God always desires to bring us into the good place of doing His will.  Our Lord wants us to bask in the sunshine of His abundant blessings.  He tells us in Rom. 8:31: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Remind yourself every day that “…greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4).

            Are you allowing your spirit to be dominated by discouragement, depression, and a negative outlook on life?  Read God’s Word and shake loose from the Eeyore syndrome.