Do you wake up every morning appreciative of another day or do you roll out of bed with, “Oh, another day of the same old thing”? Our attitude sets the stage for how each day plays out. Attitude can affect our health, our marriage, our career and the very essence of our lives.
Most of us model our attitudes based on our parents’ – that can be both a negative and a positive. If you had parents who were very critical, you might make a real effort at not being like them and always look for someone or something to compliment. Yet, again, you might be overly critical yourself (and that usually means self-critical as well). If you find yourself in the latter group, your attitude might just be coloring your life with a very dark crayon and contaminating your ability to live life fully.
A person with a positive attitude is someone who always sees the possibility in every situation as a potential gift – yes, the forest fire can bring about new life and clear the forest of the overgrowth.
The positive attitude seems to breed an “attitude of gratitude”. We like to be around positive people; they make us feel good about ourselves and usually help us feel grounded and safe. They always say “thank you” and you find they smile a lot as well.
As a Geriatric Care Manager, I have been honored to work with individuals who are in their 90’s and have had multiple losses and health challenges; yet they feel good about their lives, seeing good in every day and in every person. They tell me that loss is just part of life and you need to expect it, grieve and move on. Many have added that the “moving on” is a way to honor those you have lost.
So, if you find you are not one of the “positive” people and you don’t say “thank you” at least 5-10 times a day, then you just might want to have an “attitude adjustment”. This can be found by reading, practicing, and sometimes with professional counseling. Many Care Managers are licensed therapists and can help you make this change. Let your life be one of light and don’t use those dark crayons!