“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts… We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.”
— Charles R. Swindoll
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You might not realise how revolutionary this is – but consider how many people spend a huge chunk of their day complaining and blaming and squabbling. Complaining is considered a normal part of life. It’s ALL some people do.
But when you see the power of complaining to make you feel out of control and a victim to circumstance, you’ll be a lot more careful before you indulge.
It really is a ginormous step up, a major leap in your ability to be the master of your own destiny… to realise that everything we experience is filtered through our attitude.
Our attitude is everything.
It shapes everything. It shapes the way we think about ourselves and the world; it shapes what we do and don’t do; it shapes our peace and floats (or sinks) our boats. And we are the ones that are in total control of it.
If you’re mindful you’ll find that no one can take away your attitude.
As Victor Frankl wrote, even in the living hell of a Nazi concentration camp, “they” can strip you of everything except the last of the human freedoms… “to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”
Don’t take your attitude for granted.
Choosing to find the silver lining is a small choice: “Weeing in the wind”, the cynical part of you might object. But one small choice to appreciate shifts your life’s trajectory. It puts you back in control. Life isn’t done to you, it doesn’t define you; you define it. You decide what fills your attention, you decide that it’s happening for you, not to you. For as long as you stay with an upward spiraling attitude, you are on the up.
It’s not about sticking your head in the sand.
There will be the unexpected and the unwelcome. There will be those people that wind you up, that seem hell bent on destroying your happiness. You may never want these events to happen to another human; you may never be friends with these people – but, as the Dalai Lama once said about the Chinese leader who had kicked him out of his country, killed his monks and destroying his temples… “He’s taught me a lot about patience”.
Patience.
Isn’t that staggering? And how beneficial is this to the person who decides to assume this attitude? I mean, isn’t it the best revenge too? To take something meant to hurt, even destroy, and say, “Thank you”… ?
Resilience and joy comes from your attitude.
Take complete responsibility for it. Claim it, don’t let anyone take it from you. Practice it as a habit. Protect it! Be on the lookout: If you find yourself complaining, even righteously, even just to yourself, stop. Change that around as quick as you can.
It’s a small choice but it’s an extremely powerful mind worm – and soul seed.
Focus on what you want to grow, focus on the kind of person you want to be, focus on the life you want to live. Because your attitude is total. What you see is what you get.
Truly. What you choose to dwell on is the life you get to live.
Choose well – and as always, go well,
Arjuna
PS.
I recently did an amazing podcast, a part two with world champion kayaker Nick Troutman on his show, "The Art of Awesome".
I’m genuinely stoked with the way the conversation went.
I do a lot of podcasts, I love them … but this one was a level up for me. I really, really recommend it.
If you’d like to have a listen, head to Apple or Spotify or wherever you enjoy podcasts:
Enjoy!!
PPS.
So … a little bit more on attitude.
Being completely free to choose your own attitude requires a degree of mindfulness to say the least – mindfulness about what you’re choosing to focus on. We have an extraordinary habit we all have of sleepwalking through life; of letting life pass us by. We don’t realise how powerful our internal choices are.
Ascension is the way, not only to great self- and life-awareness, but to change all the negative and limiting habits you have.
If you want to be back in control, Ascension is the step up so you can do that.
Next course, 14-16 Jan 2022, Richmond, N Yorks (we begin 7pm Friday).
Let me know if you’d like in, or how I can help.
And thank you!