Cheerfulness is an Attitude

ATTITUDE
CHARLES SWINDOLL

The longer I live the more I realize
the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude to me, is more important than facts,
it is more important than the past, than education,
than money, than circumstances, than failures,
than successes, than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearances, giftedness or skill.
It will make or break a company, a church, a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding
the attitude we embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact
that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable.
The other thing we can do is play on the one string
we have, and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me
and 90% how I react to it.

Michael, age 53, from Elkhart, Indiana, is an extraordinary example of this virtue. At age 16, he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This chronic disease progressed and severely affected his hands and feet. It frequently attacks his other joints as well. Daily he suffers excruciating pain and severe loss of function. He cheerfully explained:

“I am, and always have been an optimist! I also figure that there are some things I cannot control, so I make the best of what I have to work with. I can mope and cry and complain, or I can just say, “This is not going to beat me!” and do what I need/want to do. I choose the latter course. I have been in many medical facilities and I’ve seen a lot of people in worse condition than I am, so I thank God I can do what I can. My advice to others is to think positively. Pace yourself. Know your physical limits. Ask for help and don’t give up.”

BE PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING

People who open their eyes each morning and immediately look forward to something that they’re passionate about are usually more satisfied, happy and hopeful people who focus on the positive. How do we become passionate about something? We develop it the same way we develop any virtue – love, kindness, patience – we practice it. Look at your life and find something that you really enjoy doing. Schedule time in for things you love doing and make them a priority in your life. You can give better from your ’overflow,’ so fill your cup!

William, age 64, in Dallas, Texas, is deeply passionate about his work. His story is an example to us all.

One day, William, an experienced designer, was asked by a client to build a large, elaborate model. It called for several building interiors and hundreds of human figures. The model was to be created in a scale of one inch to five feet, which meant that each of the human figures was only a little more than an inch in height. Each one had to be hand-painted, using a brush with a single hair. As William hunched over his table one day, painstakingly painting the figures and then carefully gluing them in place, one of his employees asked him, “Don’t you find this tedious?”

The designer replied, “Tedious? My goodness, no! I’ve loved making and painting models ever since I made my first model airplane at age seven. I just can’t believe someone is actually paying me to do this!”

From golfers to professional singers, those who excel are passionate about their interest.
From an early age, Larry lived and breathed golf. As a teenager, he was ranked one of the top 16 young golfers in the nation. Then, at the beginning of his senior year of high school, Larry was in an automobile accident. He suffered severe injuries, but the most devastating was that his left arm had to be amputated just below the elbow.

After several months of practice with a prosthetic hand, Larry hit a ball. When it landed more than 200 yards away, he knew he could do it. He rejoined his high school team, scoring even better than before, and was awarded a college scholarship.

“Don’t think of your missing limb as something that makes you a lesser person,” Larry once told an audience of children who had lost limbs. “Think of it as something that can make you stronger. I would love to be the first pro golfer with a prosthetic hand. But I also know that if I don’t succeed, I won’t be a failure. We only fail if we don’t try.”

In her autobiography, Dolly Parton wrote,

“My high school was small. So during our graduation event, each of us got a chance to stand up and announce our plans for the future. “I’m going to junior college,” one boy said. “I’m getting married and moving to Maryville,” a girl followed. When my turn came, I said, “I’m going to Nashville to become a star!” The entire place erupted in laughter. I was stunned. Somehow, though, that laughter instilled in me an even greater determination to realize my dream.”

Another sterling example of passion is Wilma Rudolph. She simply loved to run.

Wilma was born into a very poor family in a shack in the backwoods of Tennessee. She was the 20th of 22 children, prematurely born and frail. Her survival was doubtful. When she was four years old she had double pneumonia and scarlet fever – a deadly combination that left her with a paralyzed and useless left leg. She had to wear an iron leg brace. Yet she was fortunate to have a mother who encouraged her.

Wilma’s mother told her daughter that despite the brace and injured leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. She told her that all she needed to do was have faith, persistence, courage and indomitable spirit.

So at nine years old, Wilma removed the leg brace and took the step the doctors told her she’d never take normally. During the next four years, she developed a rhythmic stride and set a goal to become the world’s greatest woman runner.

At age 13, Wilma entered a race and came in dead last. She entered every race in high school, and in every race she came in last. Friends begged her to quit. However, one day, she came in next to last. And then, there came a day when Wilma won her first race, and she never looked back.

Years later, at the Olympic Games, Wilma was pitted against the greatest woman runner of the day, Jutta Heine, from Germany. Jutta Heine had never lost a race. However, Wilma beat her in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash, winning two gold medals.

Finally, it was time for the 400-meter relay. It would be Wilma against Jutta once again. The first two runners on Wilma’s team made perfect handoffs with the baton. But when the third runner passed the baton to Wilma, she dropped it, and Wilma watched Jutta take off down the track. It seemed impossible that anyone could catch this fleet and nimble woman. But Wilma did just that, and earned her third Olympic gold medal!

~ Dr. Paula

 Change Your Thoughts                                                      Do You Have a Bad Attitude?