Life Training Shows us Platitude as a Vigilant Act of Gratitude

What’s your Life Training? In life people have conflicting views and predisposition.  One might be a pessimist, a cynic, a realist, an idealist. They can look at the land of milk and honey and see only calories and cholesterol. Gloom and dread with an air of indifference often wreck havoc to their lives. But what really matters is optimism. Being an optimist is truly a worthwhile experience when you have positive outlook in life. You can tackle anything, face hindrances and adversities head on with confidence. It is ultimately the necessity in order for you to succeed. Being nice is contagious and as the law of reciprocity states you will be rewarded by the smiles you give other people.

But alas there are people who are just depressing beyond reproach; they have bumper stickers that go like this ...We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse. Will you allow negative things as your Life Course?

Everyone has a choice. You can either complain that rose bushes have thorns ... or you can rejoice that thorn bushes have roses. You can either be a person who views a glass a half full or half empty. Everyone has Personal Mission.

If you wake up in the morning and listen to songs like “ I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”  What will that do for your attitude?  You’ll really get no satisfaction.  Or here’s another inspirational ditty “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head!”  That’s having great expectation for the day!  Or here’s a personal favorite ... “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places!”  Well … that ought to affect your life in a factual positive manner!  What is my worth?  Do Personal Good or the other way round?

It’s been proven that the first 30 minutes of your day and the last 30 minutes are the most important concerning your attitude. 

Much like in advertising they call every time you see a sign, read an ad, or hear a radio spot, etc., an impression.  The goal is to bombard you with multiple “impressions” to persuade you to buy their products” Each sensory reception.. Creates an impression ... which creates a perception!  Your attitude will be affected by what you are “impressed” by!  That in turn will affect your performance. Don’t allow yourself to be filled with negative impressions or your integrity will suffer.

Don’t let Madison Ave. determine your attitude. Your morning coffee should not determine your attitude! What if the city dump called and offered to come by your house and deliver 2500 lbs. of garbage on your lawn for free.  Would you accept it? NOT!  You would think they were crazy! And yet, we let the media and people around us dump garbage into us on a daily basis.  We need to be logical and act like civilized people should upholding norms and conducts that are expected of us!

You don’t have to be pessimistic.  It is a choice. Did you know that the 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary did not have the word pessimist  ... or pessimistic in it? There was no such word! 

The great Helen Keller once said “No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.”

Your attitude is a choice. You get to choose how you let others perceive you!

Think about this  ... have you ever heard anybody say, “He’s really got a great attitude. Let’s fire him!” Ha! Never in a million years. Positive impression on people is the seed that you should cultivate in order to succeed.

In San Francisco, at the zoo, they had an elephant who I believe was named Callie. Callie had an eating disorder. She had a chronic illness. They couldn’t get her to eat ... no matter what; they couldn’t get her to eat. When she did eat, it didn’t digest correctly. They tried to give her the medication, but, there was no way in the world that Callie would take her medication. So, eventually they had to use five men, as part of their job, to give Callie her medication.

1. Yes.. I know what you’re thinking!  And, you’re right!   They had to use a ten inch long, 41 pound, coco butter suppository.

So, everyday one of them would tenderly lift her tail ... one of them would take a rubber glove that covered the entire arm, and three of the other men soothed and positioned Callie. And they administered her medication ... much to her dismay!

What a job!  How would that look on your resume? 

“What was your last job?”  

“Oh, I inserted a ten inch long, 41 pound, coco butter suppository into a grumpy 6000 pound female pachyderm!”

So, the bottom line is this.  There are at least five people in America that have a job worse than yours! Complaining is a sign of weakness, why not find ways to overcome adversities be proactive.

Stop complaining folks. This too will pass! Change your attitude and you’ll change your life!

It’s important to keep an “Attitude of Gratitude.”  Instead of a complaints list. I have personally found that the longer your gratitude list ... the shorter your gripe list!

So, I gathered my family together one night and got out a note pad.  I told them that we were going to make a list of everything we could remember that had happened that past year we were thankful for.  It began slowly.  But when we got into it ... my pen could not keep up.  We consolidated everything!  Physical things. Spiritual things. Financial things!  We laughed.. We cried ... we got out the projector and showed slides and watched recent videos.  Then we added more to the list.  We decided to read the list aloud for 30 days.  Something miraculous happened when we developed an attitude of gratitude.

We have broken through adversities! Thankful people become blessed people, blessed by the optimism they share with others! I suggest that if you are having an attitude problem.  If you ... like the great Zig Zigler says, have “stinkin thinkin” ... then make out a gratitude list. An attitude change is necessary don’t exacerbate it instead revitalize your life with a positive attitude.  Get it from the experts and make this your Life Course.