Attitude is EVERYTHING!!

Why do we say that “Attitude is EVERYTHING?”

It is a conscious choice that we make each and every day of our lives. The longer I live, the more I am conscious of the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to have an effect on one’s performance and the way one handles whatever comes our way.

It is more important than education than money than success than failures than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church or a home. Every day, we have a choice on what attitude we shall embrace for the day.

I do not know why I am having such difficulty writing this article. This will be the first time that I seem to be “dragging my feet” finishing it. Perhaps I am in the middle of my own self-isolation before the “lockdown” of California and then across the whole country. It is the worldwide COVID19 pandemic. I am beginning to get so tired of the word “unprecedented” which has been used or should I say overused by so many people around the world!!! Maybe, it is also God’s way of testing me on my attitude towards this “unprecedented” crisis which is affecting everyone universally!!

Attitude certainly is EVERYTHING!

It is also ironic that all this is happening during Lent and is the most unusual Easter celebration because it will be the first time in my entire life (and I suppose it is the same with countless other Christians around the world) that I have not celebrated Easter with my family at Mass in Church. I just feel that God is giving us (the world) an opportunity during this time to reflect on all our shortcomings and return to Him in repentance with Faith, Hope, and Love. Undoubtedly, He has cleared out our very busy daily schedules. Now that we do not seem to have any more valid excuses for Him, we should turn to Him in prayer. After all, He has been so patient, waiting for our attention.
Apart from handling this particular situation, one of the most important steps you can take toward achieving your greatest potential in life is to learn to monitor your attitude and its impact on your work performance, situations, relationships and everyone around you.

What I have also learned from this world health crisis is that we forget that we belong to one another. “So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:5 Whatever happens to someone will inadvertently affect the others. This is such a stark realization at how fast COVID19 has spread from one person to another across the world. We now have to learn to be responsible human beings by taking all kinds of precautions not to spread this dreadful virus to our fellow beings. We are now more aware of other people around us.

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Mother Teresa
Habitual bad attitudes are often the product of past experiences and events. Common causes include low self-esteem, stress, fear, resentment, anger and an inability to handle change. It takes serious work to examine the roots of a harmful attitude, but the rewards of ridding ourselves of this heavy baggage can last a lifetime.
Here are a few strategies for improving one’s attitude. It works for me!

1. Self Affirmation:
Affirmations repeated several times each day, every day, serve to reprogram your subconscious with positive thinking. An affirmation is made up of words charged with power, conviction and faith. You send a positive response to your subconscious, which accepts whatever you tell it. When done properly, this triggers positive feelings that, in turn, drive action.

2. Self- Motivation Through Discovering Your Inner Motives
Discover what motivates you—what incites you to take action to change your life. Basic motives include love, self-preservation, anger, financial gain and fear. Self-motivation requires enthusiasm, a positive outlook, a positive physiology (walk faster, smile, sit up), and a belief in yourself and your God-given potential.

3. Visualization
It is important that one should be able to visualize one’s goal/s in life and work towards it. Visualization works well to improve attitude.

4. The Power of Positive Thinking
What we speak reflects what is already in our hearts based upon all the things we have come to believe about ourselves. If we find ourselves speaking judgmental and disparaging things about our circumstances or those around us, we know the condition of our hearts needs to change. Whatever is released into the universe, we will not be able to take them back. We also need to be mindful of what we are thinking in our minds for we become what we think. Our minds are very powerful tools which we should be able to control.

5. Staying Motivated
Enthusiasm is to attitude what breathing is to life. Enthusiasm enables you to apply your gifts more effectively. It’s the burning desire that communicates commitment, determination and spirit. Enthusiasm means putting yourself in motion. It’s an internal spirit that speaks through your actions from your commitment and your belief in what you are doing. It is one of the most empowering and attractive characteristics you can have.

6. Spiritual Empowerment
The ultimate level of human need extends into the spiritual realm. Just as we feed our bodies in response to our primary need to survive physically, we need to feed our spirit because we are spiritual beings. Many people find powerful and positive motivation in their faith. I happen to be one of them.

7. Humor
I think the most important aspect of life is to always look for the lighter side of one’s life. Humor is a powerful motivator. As they say, “Laughter is the Best Medicine” and how true it is because the more you laugh, the less stress you will have which means more positive attitude for you to put into action.

8. Exercise
I am a firm believer in regular exercises. One of the best ways to move to a more positive and motivated frame of mind is to exercise. A regular exercise routine can provide relatively quick positive feedback in the form of weight loss, muscle development and a sense of doing something positive for yourself.

It is no secret that life seems to reward us most when we approach the world with a positive attitude.