Attitude

A long time ago, I realized that attitude is half the battle in most anything you do or encounter in life. Internally and externally. Let me give you some life examples.

Externally: Project the attitude that I belong here and I know what I am doing.

I could walk the halls at school, go wherever I wanted and never be questioned by teachers and staff I passed because I wasn't giving off the scared rabbit vibe or the sulking bad girl vibe.

Externally: Project confidence and defiance when needed.

I worked with a young woman 25 years ago that came running into the office out of the warehouse in tears because a warehouse worker said “I'd love to get me some of that .” ,when she walked by. She was shaken. I couldn't grasp where she was coming from. Usually no one ever said anything like that to me or within my earshot. But on the rare occasions when they did, I either met their gaze with a face of stone or I casually called over my shoulder, “in your dreams!” Depending where it happened, who they were, who else might be around and such. I never had the thought for even a minute that I should crumple and cry or shriek like a rabbit and run.

Internally: Tell yourself you are tired, lazy, sick, etc.

You'll get nothing accomplished and later or tomorrow feel even worse because things have stacked up and you feel overwhelmed and still tired, sick, lazy, etc.

Tell yourself I've got to get my butt moving, I want this done, it's a beautiful day for this, etc.

You'll be surprised how much you actually do get done before you quit for the day. The next day, there's a little less to do and you actually do feel better because of it.

These may not be the best examples of what I am talking about, but I think you get the idea. If you haven't tried it before, please give it ago! If you have, tell me how it went for you.

Attitude

 As I wrote about your great grandmother, Alma Rose, last year in this challenge, it would be redundant to do it again.  So that left me with a nice big blank as to what to do this year for the letter A.

 

Finally, I settled on talking to you about Attitude.  Attitude is half the battle in most situations or circumstances life throws you.  Let me give you a handful of examples.

 

Back in High School I figured out if you act like you belong where you are, people by and large would assume that you did.  Attitude.  I'm in this hall between class, I have a purpose and reason for being here, I don't shrink down or try to hide when I see someone and they upon seeing me don't bother to ask or question because they assume I have a valid reason for being there.

 

Then later on at work I realized attitude worked in other ways.  A shy, quiet girl I was working with had a man out on the warehouse dock make an unseemly, suggestive remark to her.  Her immediate reaction was shock and fear.  She ran away crying.  Later on, she had to avoid the man at all costs, because anything he said upset her.  While in the same type situation I had never missed a beat, never stopped walking, just called out over my shoulder, "Yeah, in your dreams."  The person never spoke to me again.

 

While in these situations attitude might help you navigate the social waters of the world, this is not where attitude is your biggest ally.  It's in those private battles you fight in your head, your body, your heart. 

 

A right attitude, a positive attitude, can make the darkest day seem bearable.  As when I believed that my mother was better off dying and going to God then surviving that massive aneurysm to live as a vegetable. It can help you hunker down and complete the most menial, mind numbing tasks.  Like cleaning up vomit in the middle of the night when you are sick yourself.  It can cause you to be thankful no matter how bad things are financially.  Seeing that you do have what you really need for existence.  The warmth of your home, the flowers outside, cuddling your child.  It can allow you to hold yourself together in the most trying of times. Because someone more venerable than you is depending upon you. It can give you the strength to do what your body tells you is impossible when there is no doubt something has to be done in order to save something or someone precious to you.

 

How can you have the attitude you need to get through, to get over?  Many times I have found the strength by thinking of one or both of you.  In financial hardships the best way is to simply do as the old hymn says and count your blessings, name them one by one...see what God has done.  But the most surefire way I know of is to pray to God to help you see things as He sees them, to see the people in your life as He sees them.  He is faithful.  He will show you another side of the person, another viewpoint on your circumstance. Then with this new outlook and the assurance of His presence (after all, He showed you so you know He is present) you can adopt a new attitude.  A more positive, less selfish, long range attitude to help you see above and beyond the storm that you are in.