Last week flew by and I find it really hard to believe that it is Monday already. Where does the time go!?
I’ve decided to do my Motivation Monday posts a little different. Last week my post was all about confidence: my story, my struggles, and why it is so important to be confident in YOU. Today I want to look at another word. Each week I want to focus on one word that we can all take note of throughout the week. I did this last week with confidence and really made some great strides!
This week the word I am focusing on is: Attitude.
Attitude plays such a roll in our every day lives. The thing about attitude is that we are the ones who are in control of it. Of course, there are situations in our lives that try to change our attitude but at the end of the day each and every one of us controls how we respond to what happens in life.
I won’t sit here and say I have been perfect in this area. In fact, there were several months right after I began my wonderful journey with unemployment that I really struggled. I didn’t care what my attitude was, I just wanted to sit there and feel sorry for myself for most of each and every day. I threw myself into running and besides that I really didn’t care.
Guess what happens though when we allow this:
-We become bitter
-We lose hope
-Just getting through the day seems hard
-We hurt those around us
-We forget about the important things in life
Even though we are the ones who control our attitude, our attitude can greatly affect those around us both positively and negatively.
At some point along the way I pulled myself out of my dark hole and decided I was done floating threw life. It didn’t mean that I didn’t have hard days, it just meant that I had decided I’d have enough and didn’t want to sit and sulk anymore. I knew I had to change my attitude. I remember a point where this quote really was my motto. No matter how I felt, no matter how much I wanted to stay in bed, I had to get up and keep moving. The more I busied myself and the more I focused on the things I had in my life the better I became.
It is truly amazing what happens when we finally decide to start focusing on all we are blessed with:
-We become happier
-We develop closer and more meaningful relationships with those around us
-We accomplish things we finally put your minds to
-We can get through the hard days with a smile
-Your love increases
If we focus on love instead of the pain, what bad can come from that? It’s hard. Really hard, but your attitude can truly change your life. Love is an amazing emotion which can be felt in so many different ways. It doesn’t have to be romantic love – it can be self love, love for your passion, love of life, really the love of anything!
Life is going to happen. Bad things are going to happen. We can’t control that the only thing we have control over is our attitude.
My goal this week is to focus on keeping a positive attitude no matter what this week brings. Even if I am working late, getting up early, or struggling to get a workout in the most important thing is to keep a positive attitude and keep pushing!
I will leave you with this because I think it is funny and I believe it is a great way to spin something towards the positive.
Finally, the winners of a copy of the Healthy You! by Dawna Stone book are:
Laura Pierce Dantin and Hayley! Congrats Ladies! I will be emailing your shortly to get your information so that we can get their books on the way to you!
How do you keep a positive attitude?
Have you ever noticed your attitude changing your outlook?
Great post – and I love your Monday ‘one word’ focus!
Two things to add to your post:
– To your list of what happens with the negative attitude, you mention throwing yourself into running, I think that you threw yourself AT running. Too hard, and the result was … stress fracture.
– It is important to remember that if you are actually suffering from depression you CANNOT ‘attitude’ yourself out of it and into happiness. Actually, for those suffering depression, ‘motivational’ stuff and ‘choose to be happy’ messages make things worse because it drives a further feeling of failure and inadequacy.
As for myself, I have always found the good in things and people, and tend to greet each day as an opportunity. I am far from perfect, and my attitude isn’t always ‘up’, but in general that is my tendency and something I work actively to maintain. Running and eating well help to maintain positive outlook for me as well.
Yes I have suffered from depression previously to the point of being medicated for it (which I wasn’t on long) and that is true – I was not intending on make anyone feel worse. I just was going off of what i have experienced in the past.
I think focusing on the good in each day is the best way! There is something good in every experience – some we just have to look harder for 🙂
I love this post. I am in Colorado and I don’t really enjoy winters so my attitude gets bad when it snows and I can run outside! Last week I got tired of hearing myself complain so I made “Susan’s Winter Plan” and came up with a list of things I could do that would bring me happiness so I wasn’t so focused on the fact that I have to be inside for my workouts. Things I included were: watch funny movies, take a nice aromatherapy bath, work on my art work, and remember this this is temporary and the sun will come out and melt the snow and I will be back on the roads getting fresh air! I am really trying to embrace winter and see it as an opportunity to challenge myself! Thank you for posting such an important topic. I really appreciate it….
I know how it can get being in that nasty winter weather! I have to really work hard to keep my attitude up during the winters here – they are ROUGH!
Yeah, I hear ya. I think what makes Colorado winters different is that we do get sunshine on MOST days. It does help but when I can’t get outside I get a little crazy!