PRAISE PEP

I'm not a fan of energy drinks. Not that I have anything against them but I'm already hyper without need for extra help. I remember back in the days a good friend's brother would call me "Igbo"-weed-because of my loko attitude. Now imagine somebody already thought to be on weed now taking energy drinks that are purported to contain stimulants...I leave the answer to your imagination. Energy drinks as the name implies are beverages that give extra burst of energy and act as physical or mental stimulants. It contains chiefly caffeine found in tea/coffee and sugar. The purpose of energy drink is to give that extra punch when one is physically and mentally depleted or exhausted. I read a study recently that said some people mix energy drinks with alcohol to make a high energy cocktail. The study revealed that people that consumed this mixture felt alert and sober though they were drunk. So the theory is when you are low and in need of something to stimulate and enhance performance, a can of energy drink would do the trick. However this not without ensuing health risk because of its contents if over consumed. The truth is any energy drink like alcohol only disguises the problem without solving it. Sometimes what the body need is rest and not a mixture of cocktails. These beverages can only go so far. If the body is stimulated briefly and the person achieves his or her immediate goals of performing herculean tasks, what happens when the next round of tasks come along and the root issue not tackled? It becomes a vicious cycle that may if not properly checked destroy the body. There are a lot of people that are drunk in pain and challenges but walking around with sober faces because they've learnt to disguise their problems with a cocktail of beverages-figuratively speaking. That they appear sober does not change the fact that they are drunk. A cock tail of energy drink and alcohol is a temporal measure; it doesn't last and would soon fade away. It’s just a façade that will crumble with time and under pressure. STOP HIDING! STOP THE PRETENSE! I have embraced what a sister blogger describes as PRAISE PEP. When faced with challenges that seem insurmountable I simply praise myself out of the pit. In the past few weeks, I've had reports that almost dragged me into a pit of despair but I refused to go down that route. There is nothing glamorous about the pit so why should I go there? A friend called me recently crying and bemoaning her situation. The more she complained, the more situation felt omnious. HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! it’s ok to cry but don't drag yourself into the pit of depression. Instead of lamenting, praise God in the midst of your challenges and that would change how you see things. The author of Psalm 77 found himself in a difficult positition. He was weak and in need of help but he recalled the faithfulness of JEHOVAH and his spirit was lifted. Donald Lawrence,the gospel artist sang "sometimes you've got encourage yourself in the lord". Praise is not denying the situation but acknowledging the power of God to help you overcome. Praising God changes your perspective, releases vitality and reveals the lion in you....not a scrawny cat that scrambles at every trial. Who needs energy drink when PRAISE IS ALL YOU NEED!.