“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” ~ Viktor E. Frankl
Have you ever experienced something in life that you didn’t like, didn’t want, or wished that somehow was different? Have you ever found yourself uttering the words…“Why me, why did this have to happen to me?”
You Choose Your Results
The truth is that even though you may not like what is happening, you can always choose how you will respond to that particular situation or event. You see, you have the power to choose what you make things mean (your thoughts). Your thoughts determine your attitude (how you feel). How you feel about something determines the actions you take or don’t take. Lastly, your actions determine the results you get in life.
American author and pastor, Chuck Swindoll said this about attitude: “I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.” The great American Philosopher and Psychologist, William James said this about attitude, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes!”
If you look at every event, circumstance, or situation that happens to you through the lens of how it offends you, you are simply choosing to have a victim attitude. If you blame your poor attitude on waking up on the wrong side of the bed or having a bad day, it is just another way of choosing to be unhappy. Blaming your unhappiness on the actions or words of others (whom you have no control over) is just another way to have a victim attitude.
You Can Change It All…
The attitude you choose each and every morning can determine the quality of your day, your week, your month, and your year. The average person living in the United States will experience approximately 28,616 mornings. That’s 28,616 opportunities to wake up on the right side of the bed.
Do you choose your attitude or do you give your power away and let someone or some external factor determine your attitude for you?
Five Things You Can Do To Shift Your Attitude:
- Decide: make a decision to choose differently. Remember that you control your attitude because you control your thoughts. Your thoughts are one of the very few things you actually do control. Decide how you want to respond to people, situations, and events, and then take action based on your decision.
- Do something physical, exercise, go for a walk just move! Physical activity can shift your attitude and get you moving forward in a more positive direction.
- Other-Centered Therapy – In other words, go spend time with someone in need. The elderly, the homeless, anyone who would deeply appreciate an act of kindness or just the opportunity to be with someone so they are not alone. Being other-centered will get you out’ve your own head and focusing on someone who is grateful for your time or attention. It may help you realize how grateful you could be for what you have.
- If you wake up in the morning on the wrong side of the bed. Get undressed, crawl back into bed, roll over to the other side and get out on that side telling yourself, “this is the side I needed to get out on, this is perfect!” You think I’m kidding … I’m not! It’s called anchoring and it’s about tying a physical object or activity to a shift in your thinking.
- Affirmations: Before you go to sleep at night, tell yourself that tomorrow you’re going to wake up rested and refreshed, with an attitude of joy and happiness…regardless of what happens!
An En-lightening Story
A Brooklyn New York homemaker who once described herself as an “Overweight woman, married to an overweight husband, surrounded by overweight friends.” said, “It’s choice, not chance, that determines your destiny.”
Jean Nidetch was the founder of Weight Watchers, one of the most successful weight loss programs in the world. Based on her words and action she apparently chose a different attitude one day and started a business that not only changed her life, but changed the lives of millions of people around the world!
So What Will You Choose?
Do you need to decide that as of today, you will no longer allow outside influences to determine your inner happiness?
Do you need to decide that after all these years, you really do deserve an extraordinary life? A loving relationship? A job you love? Your own business?
You know the decision you need to make, which means you already know the action you need to take.
What if this was the moment you decided? What if this was the moment you took the next step? It just might be the best thing you’ve done today, this week, this month, or this year?
Remember, every second of every day, you have the opportunity to choose whether you are living you’re greatest life…
Choose well!
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