If you don’t get everything you want, think of the things that you don’t get that you don’t want. Oscar Wilde
Attitude defines who you are. For the moment, for awhile or for the rest of your life. I work in a doctor’s office (administrator), and I have learned that all illnesses or diseases fall into one of two categories. An acute condition is a temporary flare-up that, when treated, will eventually ease up or go away. A chronic condition is one that will constantly inflict; the symptoms can be treated, but the illness will be your lifelong companion.
How you and I view life is often impacted by the circumstances we encounter or the people that invade our space. On a grander scale, our religious training will shape how we deal with life. God is Almighty, but what would Jesus do?
Attitude is a necessary part of our development. It can be positive or negative. It can also be apathetic, but I would throw that into the negative category. Attitude is important to one who lives alone, as well as for those of us who interact with others through work, church, school or social activities. It contributes to you accomplishing a goal or making someone miserable.
Attitude is what uniquely makes us human and is the driving force behind our actions through word or deed. It is far greater than just mindlessly performing a task. It generates our determination, our love, our anger and our hatred. The Bible speaks a lot about the range of emotions that God’s created beings go through in their relationship with him, as well as their dealings with one another.
I have become more conscious lately how attitude affects my life. More importantly, God has been teaching me a lot about my own attitude, even taking me back through the years to see where I had failed and disobeyed, and how my attitude was the culprit. Many of us don’t realise that we are conveying a negative attitude. Even what we might consider an obedient, submissive attitude may, in fact, be a resentful or bitter attitude.
Bad attitudes are founded in pride. Our self defense behavior is often getting us into trouble. Returning hurt with greater hurt. Or worse, displaying sarcasm or smugness before we are able to be hurt.
Our attitude sets the pace for how we will face each day. It must be disciplined, as any other characteristic of life. My wife likes to say that we choose to have joy. And she’s right. But choosing it, then doing it brings the challenge. And nothing is worth it’s salt unless it is tested. Anyone who participates in group interaction, be it work or play, will easily attest to the fact that our hackles are armed and ready at the first sign of threatening behavior against our pride.
For many, as they grow older, they become more cynical, pining for the energy, freedom and pain-free days of their youth. My life is going in the opposite direction. I’m beginning, albeit slowly, to be more thankful each day for what God has already blessed me with. I told a friend recently that, for all we can complain about, we need not look far to find someone who has it a lot worse.
I’m also thankful that God loves me enough to check me when my attitude is heading in the wrong direction. I believe that we were placed on this earth to help others, primarily in being able to develop attitudes, beginning with our own. One day at a time.
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