Wednesday (9/24/2014)

Thought for the Day (9/24/2014):

“We are either the masters or the victims of our attitudes.  It is a matter of personal choice.  Who we are today is the result of the choices we made yesterday.  Tomorrow we will become what we choose today.  To change means to choose to change.  Please follow carefully the course that you chart for your change of attitude.  Down the road you’ll be glad you did.  Only you can determine to take the first steps that must be taken, but they are also the most important.  Without taking these, it will be impossible to take the others.”  [John Maxwell, How High Will You Climb?]

By birth and by nurture our attitude is initially formed; but we can choose to change our attitude if we want to do so.  All the time I see people who have a negative, pessimistic outlook on life; and I see what it has done to them and to those around them.  It isn’t pretty! 

I made up my mind when I had my amputation surgery that I would not allow a negative attitude to control me.  I didn’t want to be someone who people don’t want to be around because of my attitude.  I decided to have a good, positive outlook and a cheerful attitude.  That along with my stubborn streak has worked well for me.  When I realized all the obstacles I would face with my amputation, I knew that I didn’t need to be dragging any additional baggage filled with negativity along with me.

I’m not 100% perfect with my attitude; but I’ve done a good job choosing to remain positive despite the setbacks, obstacles, and disasters that I’ve encountered so far.  I am certain that something that I will face in the future will challenge my attitude decision to the core; but until then, I will choose to maintain a positive outlook and attitude.  I’ve had to give up some of my perfectionistic tendencies and decide to focus on the kernel of good instead of focusing on the bad at times; but it has worked for me.  My life is definitely more complicated now than it once was, but with practice, I can find the sunshine in a mostly cloudy sky.  Here’s the funny thing.  I am actually happier and more content than I have been in a long time.  Choosing to change my attitude has really done just that.  Go figure.

So if you don’t like your attitude—change it.  Your attitude isn’t set by circumstances.  It is based upon how you view and choose to process those circumstances.  Your attitude doesn’t have to control you—you can control it.  For all those grumpy people who say they woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I have a piece of advice.  Get back into your bed and roll over and climb out on the right side of the bed.  Nobody is enjoying your attitude and it only makes it worse for yourself as well.

A biblical principle is that “we reap what we sow.” If you plant wheat, you don’t expect to get anything else but wheat at harvest time.  Therefore instead of sowing negative, dark thoughts and attitudes, choose to plant something that you want to see grow in your life.  It can be difficult at first, but the choice really is yours!