Attitudes Can Make or Break Us

Chuck Swindol once wrote the following:

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than success, than what other people think, say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.  It will make or break a company... a church... a home.  The remarkable thing is that 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 act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only 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.  And so it is with you.  We are in charge of our attitudes."

I typed this out for myself and put it on my office wall years ago.  Daily it reminds me that I am in charge of my attitude.  I have discovered that it doesn't matter how I feel, if I choose to have a good attitude, my feelings will follow.   I used to have a policy to "fake it until you make it" with regard to feelings.  Fake being happy and before you know it, you actually are happy.  Why?  Because you chose to change your attitude.

What we dwell on impacts our attitude.  If we're always filling our minds with and dwelling on negative things, we'll have a negative attitude.  If we dwell on positive things, we'll have a positive attitude.  We choose our attitude in our minds.  Then the actions we take and choices we make reflect that attitude.  No other person on the face of the earth can control our attitudes.  That is a personal choice from the inside.  No one else in the world is responsible for our attitude.  That is our responsibility alone.  Did you know that the Bible actually talks about that?  In fact, it's full of such verses.  Here are just four.

Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things."

Proverbs 17:22, "A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

Ephesians 4:31-32, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, along with all malice:  And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you." 

How about Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath; but angry grievous words stir up anger."  (We have a choice as to how we react to people.)

Even if you don't believe in God, these verses are full of wisdom for life. 

Remember every morning that your attitude is in YOUR control alone.