Altering Attitudes
Today I am grateful for safe travels to and from Iowa for a gathering for my mom's upcoming birthday. I'm grateful for a run with my niece Katie, hills included, my sister Danita's "scarflets," and for some 8-handed euchre fun. I appreciate seeing my growing family. The youngest in attendance is about 8 months old and Mom will be 82 tomorrow.
There's a perpetual calendar in one of the bedrooms we use at my mom's house. I got it caught up to yesterday's quote and found today's blog post idea at the same time. The quote for February 18 is:
"I can alter my life by altering the attitudes of my mind."
I would credit the author, but it didn't name one.
These words hold a lot of meaning for me. I have come to accept that all I control are my attitudes and actions. I would like to think at times that more than that are in my realm of management, but when it really comes down to it, they aren't. The attitude I bring to any given situation and the actions I choose to take are the only ways I can impact the outcomes of life's happenings. The rest is up to others and a higher force beyond all humans.
When my attitude toward life was negative and full of self-hatred, my actions included drinking to excess, smoking cigarettes, and literally hitting myself with my fists. Not to mention the steady stream of never-good-enough garbage that went through my head, created by me. Garbage in. Garbage out.
It has been recovery from alcoholism that has taught me how to change my default mode from that negative train to a more positive train of self-acceptance. And it has been the practice of gratitude that has really been the springboard to changing my "attitudes of mind" to ones that create a healthy perception of myself and surrounding world.
The practice of habitual gratitude has indeed been life-altering.
There's a perpetual calendar in one of the bedrooms we use at my mom's house. I got it caught up to yesterday's quote and found today's blog post idea at the same time. The quote for February 18 is:
"I can alter my life by altering the attitudes of my mind."
I would credit the author, but it didn't name one.
These words hold a lot of meaning for me. I have come to accept that all I control are my attitudes and actions. I would like to think at times that more than that are in my realm of management, but when it really comes down to it, they aren't. The attitude I bring to any given situation and the actions I choose to take are the only ways I can impact the outcomes of life's happenings. The rest is up to others and a higher force beyond all humans.
When my attitude toward life was negative and full of self-hatred, my actions included drinking to excess, smoking cigarettes, and literally hitting myself with my fists. Not to mention the steady stream of never-good-enough garbage that went through my head, created by me. Garbage in. Garbage out.
It has been recovery from alcoholism that has taught me how to change my default mode from that negative train to a more positive train of self-acceptance. And it has been the practice of gratitude that has really been the springboard to changing my "attitudes of mind" to ones that create a healthy perception of myself and surrounding world.
The practice of habitual gratitude has indeed been life-altering.
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