Let's Check Our Attitude
By Roberta Lashua
We will discuss what attitude is and why it is important. We will discuss choices that we have, whether we have been conscience of this or not, choices are there. We will discuss the problems resulting from negative attitudes and how to fix that. It’s all about choices, attitude and freedom.
What is Attitude?
Attitude is defined as “manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, esp. of the mind: a negative attitude; group attitudes,” and “a complex mental state involving beliefs, feelings, values and dispositions to act in certain ways; ‘he had the attitude that work was fun’”(www.dictionary.com). Attitude can be a broad subject. For the sake of this article we will discuss attitude as it relates to our manners or disposition. That would be, how we act and why we act the way we do, as it relates to our attitude.
Attitude is powerful. It is like the gasoline for our car, it provides a power supply for our lives. As we examine the topic of attitude, we will see that it is really our choice. We may not be keenly aware of that individually, but as a society that is understood to be true. We have choices. From the time we wake up, and actually before we wake up, even our wake up time is our choice. As we proceed through the day we make choices; some good, some bad. Typically, no one forces us to make specific decisions, however, we may be put into situations, where we need to make a choice, but the election is ours, what kind of attitude will we have as we proceed through the day?
We may be forced to do certain actions or deeds throughout our lifetime, due to our own commitments or commitments that others make for us. However, when we fulfill our commitments, we can do them with a good or a bad attitude. The choice is ours. We may have developed a habitual bad attitude, but it is still a choice. We need to STOP and THINK! What is the reason we act like we do? This can be a very difficult question to answer, if we have never really stepped back and stopped to analyze our own actions. When we do, it can be quite revealing.
Why Attitude Is Important
As we have seen, our attitude is our choice. We cannot blame anyone else. We have choices and as we realize that, we can then make any changes that are needed. Let’s look at why our attitude is important.
Garland Robertson stated, in his article Making Right Choices, Not Freedom, Should Be Our Primary Pursuit, in the Austin American Statesman publication, “Regardless of our circumstances we always are able to choose either to be slaves of evil, acting in ways that we know will complicate the lives of others, or to be slaves of good, acting in ways that honor our creator's intentions. Wrong choices are choices that disrupt the divine design; right choices honor what the creator has intended” (September 10, 2005).
Perhaps, if we can internalize that statement, we will see the benefits of making right choices to have a good attitude promotes and honors our Creator’s intentions. If we can think of it that way, perhaps it will be easier to STOP and THINK before we act. Stop and check our attitude, and adjust it where necessary, then proceed.
Interestingly, when we change our attitude it can change our actions and further decisions, and or it can just change the way we look at current conditions or situations. Within the last year, the Lord has shown me that what happens in my world is not nearly as important as HOW I react or respond to it. What really matters is attitude. We have probably all seen mentally challenged adults, who typically are always happy. Why? Typically, because they have good attitudes, no matter what is happening.
When we analyze that, we can see that life happens to them, just like it does to us, perhaps in greater or lesser degrees, but they have ups and downs as we do. Yet they are typically much happier individuals. Why? Their happiness is not based on their environment or their circumstances.
Our attitude governs our manners or mannerisms. Our attitude gives us direction. It is either in a good direction or a bad direction. In the newspaper article The Hindu, Chennai states that, “it is the attitude of citizens, which makes a country to prosper, or vice versa. If India is to prosper; Indians must change their mental outlook and act accordingly, which will open the doors of … peace and prosperity” (August 12, 2003). In this article Chennai laments the condition of his country, India. He is appalled at the conditions of the public streets in his country and at the lack of respect that the individuals have for themselves, which expands to effect the entire country. Chennai feels that the future of the nation depends on the attitude of the countrymen. This is a universal truth.
The Solution
We have seen that attitude is really our choice. We have seen that attitude is powerful, so much so that it not only affects directions in our lives or how we live out our lives, but it also affects our nation. I know we have all heard the statement, that we are just one person and what we do does not matter, but that is wrong. What we do does matter. It does make a difference. When we affect others, then they will in turn affect others, and on and on it goes. We may never know in this life how much our positive attitudes and deeds have affected others. God will use those deeds, however He determines to use them. It’s similar to planting the seed of the word of God. It will grow in God’s timing.
The problem is that we have difficulty in maintaining a good attitude. We can have a good attitude now and then, but typically not 100% of the time. Why? We are mortal humans, who are not perfect.
Most of us can have a good attitude now and then, if we work at it. What is the secret to more consistency? It involves a change of heart. We need a heart after God. When we have that we will be more able to make the right choices, because we will think and act more like God. That takes help from Jesus. We need Jesus. If He is real to us and, if we look to, trust and obey Him, we will make amazing progress in our lives that begins with our attitude.
By Roberta Lashua
We will discuss what attitude is and why it is important. We will discuss choices that we have, whether we have been conscience of this or not, choices are there. We will discuss the problems resulting from negative attitudes and how to fix that. It’s all about choices, attitude and freedom.
What is Attitude?
Attitude is defined as “manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, esp. of the mind: a negative attitude; group attitudes,” and “a complex mental state involving beliefs, feelings, values and dispositions to act in certain ways; ‘he had the attitude that work was fun’”(www.dictionary.com). Attitude can be a broad subject. For the sake of this article we will discuss attitude as it relates to our manners or disposition. That would be, how we act and why we act the way we do, as it relates to our attitude.
Attitude is powerful. It is like the gasoline for our car, it provides a power supply for our lives. As we examine the topic of attitude, we will see that it is really our choice. We may not be keenly aware of that individually, but as a society that is understood to be true. We have choices. From the time we wake up, and actually before we wake up, even our wake up time is our choice. As we proceed through the day we make choices; some good, some bad. Typically, no one forces us to make specific decisions, however, we may be put into situations, where we need to make a choice, but the election is ours, what kind of attitude will we have as we proceed through the day?
We may be forced to do certain actions or deeds throughout our lifetime, due to our own commitments or commitments that others make for us. However, when we fulfill our commitments, we can do them with a good or a bad attitude. The choice is ours. We may have developed a habitual bad attitude, but it is still a choice. We need to STOP and THINK! What is the reason we act like we do? This can be a very difficult question to answer, if we have never really stepped back and stopped to analyze our own actions. When we do, it can be quite revealing.
Why Attitude Is Important
As we have seen, our attitude is our choice. We cannot blame anyone else. We have choices and as we realize that, we can then make any changes that are needed. Let’s look at why our attitude is important.
Garland Robertson stated, in his article Making Right Choices, Not Freedom, Should Be Our Primary Pursuit, in the Austin American Statesman publication, “Regardless of our circumstances we always are able to choose either to be slaves of evil, acting in ways that we know will complicate the lives of others, or to be slaves of good, acting in ways that honor our creator's intentions. Wrong choices are choices that disrupt the divine design; right choices honor what the creator has intended” (September 10, 2005).
Perhaps, if we can internalize that statement, we will see the benefits of making right choices to have a good attitude promotes and honors our Creator’s intentions. If we can think of it that way, perhaps it will be easier to STOP and THINK before we act. Stop and check our attitude, and adjust it where necessary, then proceed.
Interestingly, when we change our attitude it can change our actions and further decisions, and or it can just change the way we look at current conditions or situations. Within the last year, the Lord has shown me that what happens in my world is not nearly as important as HOW I react or respond to it. What really matters is attitude. We have probably all seen mentally challenged adults, who typically are always happy. Why? Typically, because they have good attitudes, no matter what is happening.
When we analyze that, we can see that life happens to them, just like it does to us, perhaps in greater or lesser degrees, but they have ups and downs as we do. Yet they are typically much happier individuals. Why? Their happiness is not based on their environment or their circumstances.
Our attitude governs our manners or mannerisms. Our attitude gives us direction. It is either in a good direction or a bad direction. In the newspaper article The Hindu, Chennai states that, “it is the attitude of citizens, which makes a country to prosper, or vice versa. If India is to prosper; Indians must change their mental outlook and act accordingly, which will open the doors of … peace and prosperity” (August 12, 2003). In this article Chennai laments the condition of his country, India. He is appalled at the conditions of the public streets in his country and at the lack of respect that the individuals have for themselves, which expands to effect the entire country. Chennai feels that the future of the nation depends on the attitude of the countrymen. This is a universal truth.
The Solution
We have seen that attitude is really our choice. We have seen that attitude is powerful, so much so that it not only affects directions in our lives or how we live out our lives, but it also affects our nation. I know we have all heard the statement, that we are just one person and what we do does not matter, but that is wrong. What we do does matter. It does make a difference. When we affect others, then they will in turn affect others, and on and on it goes. We may never know in this life how much our positive attitudes and deeds have affected others. God will use those deeds, however He determines to use them. It’s similar to planting the seed of the word of God. It will grow in God’s timing.
The problem is that we have difficulty in maintaining a good attitude. We can have a good attitude now and then, but typically not 100% of the time. Why? We are mortal humans, who are not perfect.
Most of us can have a good attitude now and then, if we work at it. What is the secret to more consistency? It involves a change of heart. We need a heart after God. When we have that we will be more able to make the right choices, because we will think and act more like God. That takes help from Jesus. We need Jesus. If He is real to us and, if we look to, trust and obey Him, we will make amazing progress in our lives that begins with our attitude.
copyright © 2008 Roberta Lashua. All rights reserved.