We are halfway through the second month of the year/decade we know as “2010”. Hard to believe this is day 43! A lot of people made resolutions as to what they would do or stop doing in their lives this year. I wonder how many resolutions have now bitten the dust of reality and no longer are pursued or actively implemented as planned. I stopped making resolutions a few years ago. I only make ONE resolution a year – and actually for the last three years, it has been the same one because I have not yet perfected every aspect of my resolution. But before the current ongoing resolution, I made a resolution that I think I have “perfected”: Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. It is an underlying principle in my life. Be thankful – for EVERYTHING – things that are perceived as “good” and things that are perceived as “bad”. If God allows it to come into your life, my life – then there is a reason for it, and ultimately, that reason is for your/my good. That’s my philosophy on life and how I try to live it. Not always successfully, but I would say 90% of the time or more, I’m there.
I have found that having that “attitude” has colored how I see a lot of other things in life as well – and how my life has been enriched because of it. See, I truly believe your “attitude” about life determines the type of life you will have. YOU control the beauty and value of your life by your attitude towards it. May sound “Pollyanna-ish” in theory, but in principle, it can works wonders. I believe this wholeheartedly and apparently, more and more people a lot smarter than me are coming to the same conclusion. A very good friend of mine just sent me an article written in SUCCESS magazine in August 2009 by Jim Rohn. This article is entitled: TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR ATTITUDE: Your happiness is in your hands. I believe you can find the article on Mr. Rohn’s website (jimrohn.com). Or you can contact me and I’ll shoot you a copy via email or snail mail. But here are some of the points he makes that resonated with me:
1. Attitude determines how much of the future we are allowed to see. It decides the size of our dreams and influences our determination when we are faced with new challenges. No other person on earth has dominion over our attitude….no one can control our attitude unless we VOLUNTARILY surrender that control.
2. If we care at all about ourselves, then we must accept full responsibility for our own feelings. We must learn to guard against those feelings that have the capacity to lead our attitude down the wrong path, and to strengthen those feelings that can lead us confidently into a better future.
3. When you have the right attitude, you can do the remarkable.
4. With the right attitude, human beings can move mountains. With the wrong attitude, they can be crushed by the smallest grain of sand.
Wow.
Let me say again: I truly believe that having the right attitude as you go through life will determine the type of life you have. I will admit, there will be good days when this is an easy philosophy to keep in place. It is very easy to be positive when the sun is shining, there’s money in the bank, your family and loved ones are healthy, employed and self-sufficient. Yeah, it’s easy then. It’s a little harder to do when it’s storming outside and in, when there is chaos in all your relationships - important or superficial, and you have just received yet another notice from the bank that your account is overdrawn … again! – harder to see the “bright side” of the picture then, isn’t it? Been there, done that. But I have also found that if your underlying principle is “cultivate an attitude of gratitude”, you don’t wallow in the “here and now” of the immediate circumstance. You look to the God of the bigger picture and say, “Ok, God. What is the lesson You want me to learn here? Because I want to get past this so I can say ‘thank you’ for the lesson learned.” At least, that is what I (am learning to) do.
It ain’t always easy. For the record, let me say this: I am not making judgments or making light of people who have medical conditions that make it hard for them to develop or maintain positive outlooks on life. Depression, bipolar conditions, low serotonin levels – lots of things can impact the way we “deal” and how we look at life. I’m just saying: wherever possible, if you can – look at the bright side. Develop the skills you need so that you can look at things in a positive light instead of searching for and seeking out the negative aspects of every situation. I bet you a dollar, it will change your life. (smile)
Have a fabulous weekend and a magnificient Sabbath.
Be blessed.
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