Attitude Adjustment Anyone?

June 17, 2012

The first half of 2012 is almost gone. How are your New Year resolutions coming along? Or are you still trying to work on last year’s resolutions? Whatever the case, the past is gone never to come back; you can decide to have a New Year any time you decide to. It’s all a matter of attitude.

Speaking of attitude, have you ever realized that the attitude you wear each morning when you wake up determines what kind of a day you will have? If you decide to be happy regardless of what the day swings your way, then you will have one great day. However, if you decide to go by your mood and feelings, then trust me, everything will work towards ensuring you have a “moody” day. Even your domesticated animals will conspire against you; your cat will pee on your shoes, your dog will mess up your nicely pressed pants, your cow will make sure you get no milk, etc.

I speak through experience because for a long time I have been a victim of my own bad attitude. I’ve never been a morning person; I’m more like an old car that takes time to warm up and takes a while to cool off. On the contrary, other members of my family are switched on, meaning regardless of what time it is, the are always jubilant, happy and bubbly as soon as their feet hit the ground. They will wake up all jovial and energetic, ready to face the day, while I cringe and seethe with irritation wondering what’s wrong with them…..

At the beginning of this year I made a decision to emulate them and see whether I can transform myself into a morning person ... (tall order I must admit). Well I’m still work in progress, but soon I will be. You see, I realized that being happy and jovial is a choice one makes. I’ve wasted so many hours of my life being moody, discontent with stuff I don’t even have control over, and as I result, I’ve not only been miserable, but I made life unpleasant for those around me during such moments.

Looking around at our daily lives, there are several things that could take away our joy. However, we have a choice to either look positively at the situation at hand and remain happy, or grumble, or be grouchy and moody 25 hours a day, and be all negative about it . Truth be told, things could be worse…..maybe the following story will deliver the message home…. Read on.

Dear Mom and Dad:

It has been three months since I left for college. I have been lax in writing and I am very sorry for my thoughtlessness in not having written before. I will bring you up to date now, but before you read on, please sit down. You are not to read any further unless you are sitting down, okay. PLEASE.

Well then, I am getting along pretty well now. The skull fracture and the concussion I got when I jumped out of the window of my dormitory when it caught fire shortly after my arrival are pretty well healed by now. I only spent two weeks in the hospital and now I can see almost normally and only get those headaches once a day.

Fortunately, the fire in the dormitory and my jump was witnessed by an attendant at the gas station near the dorm, and he was the one who called the Fire Dept. and the ambulance. He also visited me at the hospital and since I had nowhere to live because of the burnt out dormitory, he was kind enough to invite me to share his apartment with him. It’s really a basement room, but it’s kind of cute. He is a very fine boy and we have fallen deeply in love and are planning to get married. We haven’t set the exact date yet, but it will be before my pregnancy begins to show.

Yes, mother and dad, I am pregnant. I know how very much you are looking forward to being grandparents and I know you will welcome the baby and give it the same love and devotion and tender care you gave me when I was a child. The reason for the delay in our marriage is that my boyfriend has some minor infection which prevents us from passing our premarital blood tests and I carelessly caught it from him. This will soon clear up with the penicillin injections I am now taking daily.

I know you will welcome him into the family with open arms. He is kind and although not well educated, he is ambitious. Although he is of a different race and religion than ours, I know that your oft-expressed tolerance will not permit you to be bothered by the fact that his skin color is somewhat darker than ours. I am sure you will love him as I do. His family background is good too, for I am told his father is an important gun-bearer in the village in Africa from which he comes.

Anyway, now that I have brought you up to date, I want to tell you there was no dormitory fire; I did not have a concussion or a skull fracture; I was not in the hospital; I am not pregnant; I am not engaged. I do not have syphilis, and there is no Negro in my life. However, I am getting a D in sociology and an F in science; and I wanted you to see these marks in proper perspective….. it could have been worse...

Your loving daughter.

After the prank message, do you think the parents really saw the low grades as being a grave situation? The moral of this story is that no matter what your situation is, there is someone else who has it worse than you do...

Things could be worse

Here are some areas to think about…

In traffic, (in your own car, probably chauffeur driven) and going crazy due to the delay? Think about that person who does not even own a bicycle and has no money to pay for public transport; s/he has to walk.

The next time you get this urge to be all grumpy simply because you had an insomnia attack and didn’t sleep well in your King/Queen size bed, think of those street families who have no bed or home to boast about.

Having a bad day at work and getting all pissed off because of the inconsiderate work-mates and bosses you have? Well, what about that (wo)man who for the last eight (8) months has been looking for a job? What can’t s/he do to get yours?

Despairing about a troublesome relationship? Ever thought of that person who does not have anyone to love? Who has never experienced love? At least you have someone to talk to.

Worried about the few grew strands of hair appearing on your head? Well, thank God you even have hair at all. What about that cancer patient who just lost all her/his hair to chemotherapy, but is glad s/he is alive regardless of their hair loss?

Concerned that you are aging/growing old? Think of those who did not even make it to a quarter of your age and thank God that you are still alive!

The truth is, the problems we face are really not the problem! Our ATTITUDE to the problems is the real problem! If only we could have a positive mental attitude! If only we could purpose to be happy every day, regardless of what the “problem” is! We would all be so bright and light (with no baggage) and this world would have less people with ulcers. If only we could all emulate Christ’s ATTITUDE….. (Phillipians 2).

Purpose to have a course in ATTITUDE Adjustment today and graduate with a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude). I’m taking it too!