Attitude Adjustment

Accepting my Higher Power did not fully change my attitude of resistance.
It just made yielding to instruction a more rational and acceptable mode of behavior.
For each Step, I still had to go through the process of recognizing that I had no control over my drinking. -- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 541


Thought to Ponder . . . We are in charge of our attitudes.

God Has A Positive Answer

 

You Say	God Says	Bible Verses
You say: 'It's impossible.'	God says:   All things are possible.	Luke 18:27
You say: 'I'm too tired.'	God says:   I will give you rest.	Matthew 11:28-30
You say:   'Nobody really loves me.'	God says:   I love you.	John 3:1   6 & John 3:34
You say: 'I can't go on.'	God says: My grace is sufficient.	II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15
You say: 'I can't figure things out’.'	God says:   I will direct your steps.	Proverbs 3:5-   6
You say: 'I can't do it.'	God says:   You can do all things.	Philippians 4:13
You say:   'I'm not able.'	God says:   I am able.	II Corinthians 9:8
You say: 'It's not worth it.'	God says:   It will be worth it.	Roman 8:28
You say:  'I can't forgive myself'.'	God says:  I Forgive you.	I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1
You say:   'I can't manage.'	God says:   I will supply all your needs.	Philippians 4:19
You say:   'I'm afraid.'	God says:  I have not given you a spirit of fear.	II Timothy 1:7
You say:  'I'm always worried and frustrated.'	God says:   Cast all your cares on ME.	I Peter 5:7
You say:   'I'm not smart enough.'	God says:   I give you wisdom.	I Corinthians 1:30
You say:   'I feel all alone.'	God says:   I will never leave you or forsake you.	Hebrews 13:5

 

God determines who walks into your life . . . . it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.'

Father, God, bless all my friends in whatever it is that you know they may need this day!

And may their lives be full of your peace, prosperity and power as they seek to have a closer relationship with you.  Amen.

 

My Attitude

My thoughts guide my day. 

Noticing how I awake can help me save the day.

-- Kelley Vickstrom

I am as happy as I truly want to be today. 

No one can steal peacefulness from me if that's what I really want.

My Life = My Thoughts

The universe is transformation;
our life is what our thoughts make it.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

 

It's awesome, the power I wield in the life that unfolds before me.

My dreams shine like beacons in the dimness of my mind.

Just as my thoughts can nurture positive experiences and outcomes, negative episodes might be drawn to me, too.

I can be sure, though, that I use this individual power to create the flavor of each day as it's met.

My attitude is the by-product of my thoughts.

It is in my attitude that I discover strength or weakness, hope or anxiety, determination or frustration.

Alone, I determine whether my attitude will be loving or jaundiced.

The breadth of personal power is awesome.

Today will be what I choose to make it.

No more and no less.

Open Arms

I have reached a point in my life

where I understand the pain and the challenges;

and my attitude is one of standing up

with open arms to meet them all.

Myrlie Evers

www.gratefulness.org

Good Cheer

If you're dog-tired at night,
it may be because you growled all day.
--War Cry

Negative attitudes wear me out.

Assuming the worst will happen, focusing on just my faults, constant complaining, are attitudes that bring me down.

The good cheer I send out will come back to me from others who are healthy.

I can choose these cheerful people as my friends, and my happiness will grow and blossom in this good soil.

Adjustin My Attiude

If I reach out lovingly to someone else today, I will not need a nudge from my Higher Power to adjust my attitude.

I always have two lists:
things I'm happy about and
things I'm not.
It's my choice which list I focus on.

--Anne Arthur

Unfortunately, a bad attitude is seductive.
Discouragement and self-pity become comfortable, and I fear that discarding them will leave me vulnerable.
It's as though I find pleasure, perverse though it may be, in feeling sorry for myself.
Sometimes I even imagine staying in that place forever.
It's then that I need the warmth of loving friends, and it's no accident that I am surrounded by them in the fellowship.
I may, at first, try to ignore those reaching toward me, but I will soon feel their presence.
I can thank God for the inspiration to adjust my attitude.

Attitude Is Everything

Today will be what I make it.
Regardless of the weather, the kinds of work to be done, the personalities crossing my path, I'll feel joy and peace if that is my choice.
Depression, anger, fear, and frustration shadowed my steps because I didn't take control of the only thing that's ever been in my control absolutely - attitude.
It's so easy to blame others for every wrinkle in my life.
But as I grow accustomed to the idea of taking full responsibility for how I think and feel, I'll be empowered.
And, as Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying, we will be just as happy as we make up our minds to be.
Nobody can mess with my attitude but me!

The Right Attitude

If I am to know the will of God, I must have the right attitude toward life.
I must first of all know what life is, and to know the purpose of my existence.

It is all very well to declare that I exist in order to save my soul and give glory to God by doing so.
And it is all very well to say that, in order to do this, I obey certain commandments and keep certain counsels.
Yet knowing this much, and indeed knowing all moral theology and ethics and canon law, I might still go through life conforming myself to certain indications of God's will without ever fully giving myself to God.
For that, in the last analysis, is the real meaning of His will.
He does not need our sacrifices, He asks for our selves.
And if He prescribes certain acts of obedience, it is not because obedience is the beginning and the end of end of everything. It is only the beginning.
Charity, divine union, transformation in Christ: these are the end.

--Thomas Merton

No Man Is An Island: 63

What God wants of me is myself.

That means to say that His will for me points to one thing:
the realization, the discovery, and the fulfillment
of my self, my true self, in Christ.

No Man Is An Island: 63-64.

Thought to Ponder . . .

Attitudes are contagious.

Is yours worth catching?

Negative Pull

Sometimes we start out with the best intentions to think and speak only positive thoughts, but the people around us throw us off course. Not everyone fully understands the power our thoughts and words have, or even if they do, they may be stuck in old patterns of negativity. Much of our habitual communication takes the form of complaining and criticizing, and it can be hard to find a way into certain conversations without lapsing into those old habits. However, we always have the option not to participate in negativity or to find a way to influence the situation in a positive direction. In the right company, you may even be able to directly acknowledge the fact that things have taken a negative turn, thus freeing yourself and others from the negative pull.

Not everyone will respond to your cues, and there's no need to become overly attached to the idea of changing other people, because people have to choose for themselves how they will be in the world. Many people choose negativity because it is familiar to them and feels safe. It is important to give people the space to find their own way, but you can always set an example, subtly representing the power of being positive. At times you may interject an affirmative statement into the conversation, and at others you may simply change the subject. You may also simply withdraw your energy and presence, which also makes a subtle statement. If you feel comfortable enough with somebody that is always negative, perhaps you can have an honest conversation with them; after all, awareness is the first step to change.

A powerful way to free yourself from the negative pull is to enlist allies who are similarly minded. You and a friend, coworker, or family member may agree to work together to continually shift the energy in a situation in a positive direction. The power of two people working to promote the positive is exponentially greater than one person working on their own. As you and your allies work together to lift the energy around you, you will be amazed to see how quickly the positive pull begins to draw people into its orbit, freeing one mind after another from negativity into light.

-- DailyOM

Live Life

Life is short!
Break the rules!
Forgive quickly!
Love truly!
Laugh uncontrollably!
And never regret anything that made you smile.

Messengers From The Wilderness – Weeds

Simply expressed, a weed is any plant that grows where it isn't wanted. Weeds are defined by their tendency to flourish at the expense of a gardener's overall vision, and we tend to battle their presence in our yards.

It is interesting to consider, though, that a plant is a weed only within a certain context, which is to say that one person's weed is another person's wildflower. Most of us have pulled at least one dandelion up by its roots and disposed of it in the interest of preserving the look of a perfect green lawn, yet the dandelion is good medicine, packed with healing properties and vitamin-rich leaves that are a delicious, spicy surprise in a summer salad.

In the wild, there is no such thing as a weed because the overall vision is in the hands of Mother Nature, who accommodates and incorporates all forms of life. In nature, balance is achieved over the long term, without the aid, or interference, of a human supervisor.

While one plant may prevail over others for a certain period of time, eventually it will reach an apex and then it will naturally decline, allowing for other forms to be born and survive. This self-regulating realm was the first garden of our ancestors, who learned the art of agriculture from studying the forests and fields of the as yet uncultivated earth.

In a sense, weeds are harbingers of this wildness, pushing their way into our well-ordered plots, undermining more delicate flora, and flourishing in spite of us.

The next time you see a weed, you might want to look deeply into its roots, discover its name, its habits, and its possible uses. Instead of seeing an unwanted intruder, you might see a healer offering its leaves for a medicinal tea or its flowers for a colorful salad.

At the very least, if you look long enough, you will see a messenger from the wilderness of Mother Earth, reminding you that, even in the most carefully controlled garden, she cannot be completely ruled out.

-- Today's DailyOM

Discoloring My Perspective

Love is a positive feeling and
if one cultivates this feeling in their life,
they will surely free themselves from
any unbalanced condition that surrounds them.
-- Syd Banks

Anger, whether unfocused or triggered by a troubling experience or a hostile person, discolors my perspective through an afternoon or a full day, perhaps even a week. My understanding of events is always directly related to the attitude I've chosen to harbor. No situation or person, however difficult, has the power to steal away my happiness without my passive consent. So willingly I adopt negative attitudes. My choices for actions, feelings, or attitudes are far greater than those I habitually turn to. And it's likely I know love least of all. But just as anger breeds more anger, love cultivates more love, and each life that's touched by love profits from it. When I make a decision to practice love unconditionally - loving myself, my neighbors and co-workers, even the snarling strangers sharing my traffic jam, I will quickly experience the miracle of love in my own lives.

Attitudes

Attitudes are contagious.

Is yours worth catching?

Enjoy Your Work

Choose Your Attitude.
You have a choice about the way you do your work,
even if you do not have a choice about the work you do.

Play.
Have fun while you work.

Make Their Day.
Involve your customers in the games you are playing.
Make their day fun!

Be There.
Be present by focusing your attention and energy on each other and your customers.

Keeping Life Managable

Each morning sees some task begin.
Each evening sees it done.
Something attempted, something done.

‑ Longfellow

Every day for us is a period of spiritual growth.
Restful sleep prepares us for fruitful days.
As each day begins, a new adventure in growth lies ahead.
We seek strength and an attitude of making our lives more meaningful and positive through prayer and meditation at the start of each new day during our quiet time.
We prepare ourselves emotionally for the busy hours ahead.
With positive action planned ahead, we arise to a day dedicated to accomplishment.
We know we have little time for standing and idly staring.
We accept new challenges as we carry out each day's plans.
We encourage those around us to join us in seeking to see the best in everything that makes up our daily lives.

Restful sleep, meditation, planning, and turning it over starts my day with a quiet time and keeps it manageable.