Monday, June 18, 2012

ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE


     Today and tomorrow we are going to discuss giving your attitude a boost.  Every now and then we screech to a halt and find our attitude has dived south. What can we do about that?
     Let’s start by saying attitude is everything. And I’m a firm believer that attitude is a choice.  Attitude is how we choose the way we see things around us, how we face those situations in our lives, how we deal with those situations.  Attitude is more or less how we think and deal with life around us.
      The difference between a positive and negative attitude could be the difference between a positive or negative life. Here is list that will jump-start your attitude today … and tomorrow.
     1. Good morning, sunshine! Get up early and even if it’s a small one - take a walk around the neighborhood, up the street, at the park. Just a fifteen or twenty minute walk is plenty of time to start your day with a smile on your face. It’s the best thing you can do for YOU.
     2. Its a new day ~ Yesterday might not have been your day. Not every day is. Time passes and so do your problems or troubles. So remind yourself that today is a new day. The attitude you set right now – will set it for the rest of the day.
     3. Take control ~  It’s a choice . . . and that choice is yours. If something happens right off the bat – make a conscious choice to change the direction in a better way for the rest of the day. You control your attitude – and attitude controls your day.
     4. Surround yourself with positive friends ~ There is nothing more self-defeating and frustrating than those ‘attitude stealers.’ They are miserable and seem most happy when everyone around them are cranky and dragging the attitude down with them.  The people you choose to have around you will immensely affect your attitude. A trick I used with my two break-walking friends, when they wanted to grumble the entire twenty-minutes was to give each five minutes to complain. Once the complaining time was over – we had to talk about fun things, happy things, and family things. Soon no one needed their five complaining minutes!
     5. Eat healthy and look healthy – you’ll feel healthy ~ I know – I like my treats, too. But once I started eating better, I started looking better, and soon I started acting better. See, it’s back to you are in charge of making positive choices for YOU. Fuel your body for an energetic body with an energetic positive attitude and mood.
     6. Get enough sleep ~ I used to brag that I could easily handle a day with four hours of sleep. And I did exactly that! Then I read an article in a medical magazine; ‘people who get less than seven to eight hours of sleep increase their chances of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease by 85%! WHAT? No way! But guess what, it’s true. It takes the body a good seven to eight hours to repair our brain from the day before. What I thought I was managing with four hours of sleep compares nothing to what and how I can handle the same things with a good seven to eight hours of good sleep (and I truly go for that eight hours now). I’m a different person.
    7. Work hard and play even harder ~ Do you know those people who only watch TV for a hobby.  Is that okay?  Of course it is, if that’s how they unwind and enjoy their weekend or evenings. Never judge someone else. My attitude is sparked by those fun things I do for me. Of course my most joy comes from writing. But there are other things that help me unwind and feel fulfilled; gold panning with my husband, crystal and sapphire digging, rafting, camping, etc. Family get-togethers can be a lot of work – the way I look at them – we are so blessed to get together and share … laugh … and create wonderful loving moments that will support us when the times are not so great. Hobbies shared with a loved one – are the best hobbies of all!
     8. Laugh and the world will laugh with you  ~  Have you ever noticed how grumpy and downright angry people look? Just take notice whether they are driving a car, walking down the street, or pushing a grocery cart. Next time you observe that – smile at her or him. Yep… believe it or not, 98% of them will smile right back at you.  You feel great . . . and you can be sure 100% of them feel better, too. I am a firm believer that a smile can be heard on the phone. Tell a joke (come on – a cute clean joke)  . . .  ‘laughter is the best medicine’ isn’t just a cliché’ . . . it’s a fact. Think about this – do you know someone . . . or several people . . . that you rarely have heard laugh! How sad is that. That might be something you should consider changing. Change the focus off yourself – attitude is contagious.

Tomorrow we’ll continue this discussion . . . 

4 comments:

  1. Great advice, Rita! I've been smiling at people for years. I started doing it instinctively because my Dad always scowled when he was thinking. Most people smile back, but I admit it amuses me when people seem startled that they did.

    =)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loved the tips, Rita, and I spread the word about them. I do love to walk in the morning and find it does set a good tone for the rest of the day. This morning I was so tired, I had to push myself to do it, but so glad I did.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Regan... super... how commendable that you recognized that you didn't like you dad's scowling ... and you chose not to. Bravo! it's sooo very hard not to smile back at someone who shares a smile with you! it's contagious of the best kind! Rita

    ReplyDelete
  4. Maryann ... glad you spread the word... when I was young...it was my job to get the cows in for milking (from Wisconsin) early 5:30am... the meadowlarks chirped ... and everything was quiet... was my favorite time of the day ... and left me with great feelings. It's when we feel like it the least -- that we need it the most! :) Rita

    ReplyDelete

Romance Reviews

The Romance Reviews