The Power Of Choice

I LOVE TO BE POSITIVE. And I love to help other redirect their thoughts and words from negative to positive.

But, yesterday, something happened.

Ever find yourself with a sudden bad attitude, only to be rescued by the sheer radiance of someone else's positivity?

Let me tell you about a situation yesterday with my friend, who came to visit me here in Colorado from Chicago.

We had not seen each other in years, and it was like no time had passed when we met up and spent two days together. We explored, hiked and had great conversations as we "life-coached" each other with lots of positive energy.

Well, the happy chip left my brain when we got to the trailhead. It was COLD, WINDY and not the blue sunny sky that I wanted.

Here is the conversation as I was fumbling for my backpack:

Me: UGH, it's so windy!

My positive friend: Oh, its ok

ME: Didn't realize it was going to be like this up here

My positive friend: It's just a little wind ,we are going to have a good time

ME: Its so cold and windy

MY positive friend: We just have to hike faster to warm up.

It hit me hard and furious that, though I spend most of my days with a good attitude, in this moment, all I seen was disappointment because I wanted to show my friend a no-wind, nice day, blue sky hike. I mean, I AM the one who helps others redirect their negative thoughts and words. How did the negativity monster steal my identity?

I was fixating on the negative. When I heard my friends positive words...I shifted my focus, I saw the beauty of the mountains, the promise of a breathtaking lake, the allure of the trails, and the joy of engaging in deep conversation with a friend of over two decades.

Our words carry weight, capable of sparking a ripple effect of positivity in our surroundings.

I then chose to have an A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E Adjustment.

This morning, I read John C. Maxwell's book Make Today Count. If you want to see some wisdom, keep reading as I write my favorite things that stood out to me from the first chapter.

Oh, and the hike with my friend turned out to be nothing short of amazing, including a blue sky. My momentary lapse into negative thinking vanished faster than my hiking shoe hit the trail.

Today, I receive gratefulness, grace, and glimmers. Grateful for it all, Grace to remember I am human, and Glimmers to see the good.

MAKE TODAY COUNT by John C. Maxwell:

Affirmation:

I am going to keep a positive attitude and use it to influence others.

Make the decision to choose and display the right attitude daily.

Your attitude is a choice.

Nobody can make you happy.

If you want today to be a good day, you need to take charge of the way you look at it.

Decide to change your bad attitude areas.

There are things in your life you cannot choose. But your attitude is something you can change. If you want to have a better day you have to go after those areas.

Think, act, talk, and conduct yourself like the person you want to become.

If you desire to change yourself, start with your mind. Believe you can improve, that you can change into the person you desire to be. If your thinking changes, then everything else can follow.

Place a high value on people.

You cannot have a bad attitude and encourage others at the same time. Encouraging others means helping people, looking for the best in them, and trying to bring out their positive qualities. That process drives negative thoughts right out of your head.

Develop a high appreciation for life.

Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. It's how you arrange your mind. Appreciation is a matter of perspective.

Managing the disciplines of attitude.

Affirmation: Every day I will make the adjustments necessary to keep my attitude right.

Recognize that your attitude needs daily adjustments.

The stronger your natural inclination is to be pessimistic or critical, the more attention your attitude will need. Begin each day with an attitude check. And watch for red flags signaling that your attitude might be in trouble.

Find something positive in everything.

If you try hard enough, you can find something good , even in the midst of difficult situations.

Mother Teresa was asked the requirements for people assisting in her work with the destitute in Calcutta, she cited two things: the desire to work hard and a joyful attitude.

Find someone positive in every situation.

Positive people are everywhere. You'll often find them soaring above the negative people-like eagles.

Say something positive in every conversation.

Make it a habit to include positive comments in every conversation with others.

Sincerely compliment, praise, acknowledge, bolster, raise up, and reward people whenever you can.

Remove negative words from your vocabulary.

Replace I can't with I CAN

Replace If only with I WILL

Replace I don't think with I KNOW

Replace I don't have the time with I WILL MAKE THE TIME

Replace maybe with ABSOLUTELY

Replace I'm afraid with I'M CONFIDENT

Replace I don't believe with I'M SURE

Express gratitude to others daily.

Thinking about the good things helps us to be grateful. Remaining grateful helps us to have a more positive attitude. Having a positive attitude prompts us to think about the good rather than the bad. It's a positive cycle that helps to fuel itself.

GLIMMERS

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

-John Wooden

"When we learn to give thanks, we are learning to concentrate not on the bad things, but on the good things in our lives."

-Amy Vanderbilt, journalist and etiquette book author