“Life presents an endless string
Of incidents and actions,
Audacious acts or words can bring
Infinite reactions.
It matters less the stimulation
Than the nature of response,
The important part of the equation –
The reaction is what counts.”
(Excerpt from Jim’s book of poetry “ Discovering Kindness in a Deeply Divided World”)
Many years ago I was a founder and 2-term board member of The Network for Attitudinal Healing International, a not-for-profit organization that works with the attitudes of terminally ill children and adults. I have seen the power that attitude can have on lives.
According to Winston Churchill: “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” Having led Great Britain in their survival battle with Hitler, he speaks from experience. Mahatma Ghandi elaborated: “Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.” In the words of Abe Lincoln: “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
Ask any professional athlete the importance of attitude in their sport, and you will get a personal testimonial. Many professional golfers and other high-level athletes work with sports psychologists to maintain a positive attitude and maximize their performance.
Every one of us has developed an attitude as we process the trials and opportunities of life. Our attitude can be positive, thankful, negative, self-defeating, and even downright nasty. Each one of us decides our destiny. What will it be?
