A is for Attitude

A is for Attitude. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Webster's Dictionary defines attitude as: manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind. Wait, did you see that? Especially of the mind. If I am understanding old Webster here then that means I have a chance to control and change my attitude?! What? Mind blowing. I don't have to have a bad attitude just because life would like me to. I can turn my day around and be in good spirits, all with a decision to change my mind. Hmmm

I've written before about how attitude is a crucial thing in life. This post is going to focus on what we can do to change our mindset. Recently, I heard you don't have to accept a bad attitude. You can choose to think positive thoughts. Let me stop and say I laughed at all this. With a pfft yeah right sure! kinda attitude. But if you give it a try it actually does work. The day after I decided to give this feel good notion a try I was tested. I woke up feeling in a mood. No reason, just one of those days I guess. I lay there as the sun streamed into my window at oh-ungodly starting the train down the bad mood track. It's too early to be awake, stupid curtains don't block light they are suppose to, ugh the dogs are barking, now my boy is awake, I don't feel like starting my day right now….and on and on…then I stopped myself. What about this whole change your thoughts, change your attitude thing? Ok fine. Let's see. It is too early to be awake but thank God I am awake. At least the dogs warn me if someone is to close to the house, better then a security system would. Since K is already awake, might as well get C up to and then we have more time to play…after all these are the days that are long but the time that is short.

If this was a movie the light bulb would go off, the angels would sing, and they would zoom in on my face and I would shout I've done it! None of that happened but it did feel like something clicked inside. My dark mood lifted and I faced my day with a positive attitude. Honestly, it made me feel like a had a good mom day, where I was being proactive instead of reactive, and patient instead of impatient.

No matter how bad the situation may seem something is going right. If you think I am wrong then consider this, the fact that you are above the ground is a good thing.

Going on and on and on about something bothering you in life does not help. I'm sorry, but it just doesn't. I would go as far to say, the more you rehearse an issue the bigger it becomes and the more unhappy you will be. As I am writing this my back is throbbing in pain. I have a chronic pain problem in my lower back and the intensity varies by day. I can choose to complain incessantly and have a bad attitude about it or I can choose to be thankful I am still able to walk and play with my children. Do I like having to live in pain? No, but that doesn't mean I have to make others suffer through my bad attitude.

Walking around frustrated and angry all the time is exhausting right? There are a lot of things in this life we have no control over. But we do have control over our attitudes. We can choose to have a good one, a bad one, or an ugly one. I don't know about you, but I don't want to have a bad one.

“Attitude is a little thing that can make a big difference” -Winston Churchill