Attitude

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference"
~Winston Churchill

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."
~ Jimmy Dean

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy people enough to make it worth the effort."
~Herm Albright

I have contemplated "attitude" a lot in the past few weeks. Specifically, my attitude.

When I am doing well with having a good attitude, it is often pleasant to think about my outlook. I can sometimes feel a sense of accomplishment when I can see the impact a good attitude can have on my family.

When I am having a bad attitude about something, taking a deeper look at it is not something I like. It makes me feel like a failure, weak, selfish.

I have had a really bad attitude about something over the past few months. It started as just a little slip up, when I allowed myself to feel resentful about something. Do you ever do that? You know, start to allow yourself to see the things in your life that you have a RIGHT to be frustrated over? (and I know there are things in my life, and I am sure in your life that are truly impositions, burdens, unfair, etc. Those are the things I mean....) For me, having a positive attitude/outlook is a choice. It doesn't always just happen. I have to work at it, and fail frequently. I am thankful that we have the Holy Spirit to help us, to convict us and show us when we're falling into that trap. You know, the "it's all about me and my rights" trap.

Anyhow, it started as a choice to allow myself to dwell on how unfair something was. It's sort of like scratching chicken pox (oh wait, those are pretty much eradicated now, right? hmmmmm.... mosquito bites then....) you know- you're just going to pat the part that itches. Then you're just going to lightly scratch it. Next thing you know, you're scratching the skin off your arm and it itches worse that EVER! Sort of like that. It's just a path I can't allow myself to go down. What started out as one thought, turned into several thoughts, which turned into a few comments, then several........ Next thing you know I am harboring resentment and being, basically, a hag about something that has no solution. It is what it is, whether I am ticked off about it or not.

For me, this is a path I have been down a time or two (or three, or four......). The solution is simple, but not easy. It starts, for me, with this:

"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
~Philippians 4:8

In other words, think about the good stuff, and make sure it's true good stuff, and that it's not just bad stuff that makes you feel good to think about it. To me, this verse also means to think about the things you are thankful for. And there are ALWAYS things to be thankful for, in every situation. I have been in some weird situations in my life, bad situations, and I can't think of one that didn't have something in it that I could be thankful for. Even if I had to look really hard to find the thing.

I need to stop thinking about how I am getting the raw end of the deal, how my life would be better if the situation would just change, how so-and-so's circumstances are so much easier than mine.......

This is a funny video that illustrates what I need to tell myself when I start thinking things that are eventually going to lead to me having a bad attitude about something.... it's really funny! (and also true)

See?? Simple! Start to think about the right things. Stop thinking about the wrong things.

...simple, but not easy.

You know what though? You have to START. If you don't you'll just keep repeating the same patterns that cause bad attitude issues to start infecting the other areas of your life. I know for me, I cannot just isolate my negative patterns to the one situation it starts with. Sooner or later it begins to seep in to other areas of my life, and before I know it, I'm thinking and acting in ways that are completely counter to my beliefs and standards. Yuck.

I feel like I should have a joke or something to offer after all that. Hmmmm..... how about a funny picture of me clowning around......

I know, super attractive, right?? Ha ha. Bet it made you laugh though. :)

Have a fun Friday night!!