Another Pleasant Day

"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same." ~Francesca Reigler

The sun does not shine every day, the good times do not always roll and smiles do end upside down; all of this is a given. They are a fact of the life we live, day in and day out the circumstances change. Even from moment to moment they can change. Life would be pretty boring if everything was happy, sugar and kisses all of the time.

I am reminded of a movie a few years back called Pleasantville in which television characters lived the idyllic life. In the beginning, it is said by the weatherman, "Well, it looks like we're going to have another sunny day - high 72, low 72, and not a cloud in the sky."

But the black and white scenes begin to gather color in this television land called Pleasantville. The line now becomes, "Nothing is as simple as Black and White." Which is something we learn in our own life; the colors abound and we work through each of them.

The colors or "happiness" is what we choose them to be. In those moments when the colors become dull and depressing, we can choose to find the hues of happiness. A cloudy day has its own beauty. A rainy day provides wondrous reflections in the pools of water on the sidewalk.

No, we do not get to choose the circumstances we encounter most of the time. But we do get to choose the attitude we have. Find happiness within your circumstance and see the colors come back into your life.

Stay inspired my friends!

Ain't Life Grand

"Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music." -Ronald Reagan

Each of us have a way of making the blues disappear after a hard time. In music, the lyrics can tend to lift us from those sad or tough times. Finding the right song can sometimes take a lot of searching through your song lists to find just the right one.

One of those songs I have found comes from a group called Widespread Panic. The song is titled "Ain't Life Grand" and it says to me that despite all else, life really is good.

The sun came out the other day
Through those dusty clouds
And in my mind I was a child
And it felt good!

And it does feel good today. Even with many of the circumstances that can bring us down, life really is a great thing.

Remind yourself that there really are many great things you have in this life. And after you allow yourself that bit goodness inside, it will have felt good because "ain't life grand?"

Shaping Yourself

"Such is the state of life that none are happy but by the anticipation of change. The change itself is nothing; when we have made it the next wish is to change again." -Samuel Johnson

In his book, Attitude 101, Dr. John C. Maxwell provides us with a list of those things which shape our attitude.

1. Personality - Who Am I
2. Environment - What's Around Me
3. Word Expression - What I Hear
4. Adult Acceptance/Affirmation - What I Feel
5. Self Image - How I See Myself
6. Exposure To New Experiences - Opportunities For Growth
7. Association With Peers - Who Influences Me
8. Physical Appearance - How We Look To Others
9. Marriage, Family And Job - Our Security And Status

So what are those things shaping your attitude?

Some of the above are self explanatory and others may require you to read more in order to understand them. But the idea here is to start seeing areas that effect us. In example, word expressions and what you hear. If you are around those that are constantly speaking in non-positive ways, you can become trapped and accept that life is just as they say. Counter those negative words into positive ones or, radical thought here), change who you hang around with. Get in the circle of those that are more positive and life affirming.

Take a bold step forward, any step, any type of change. And here is your bold step, pick one of the nine. Choosing from the list above, select one and try changing just that one area of influence for the better.

- Maybe it is simple as finding some source to read more about the list - Attitude 101.

- Maybe it is sitting with someone different (a cheerful person) for lunch.

- Maybe it is a change of clothes, new haircut, shaving your beard, or new pair of shoes.

Little things will spur you to make another change. This leads to more changes and before you realize it, your life has been impacted for the better. Others will notice the change and that will impact them. Some may not like it as you begin to ascend from the negative depths of living. But there will be many that will ride the elevator with you to new heights, cheering you on.

Make a positive change in your life and stay inspired my friends.

Did You Hear That

"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk." -Doug Larson

Wait, did you hear that?

Stop what you're doing, turn down the radio or TV and listen. At first it sounds like complete silence, but keep listening, the noises going on around you, the conversation in the distance, a plane going by overhead or maybe the bark of a dog.

It is difficult to hear all these different things when you do not stop and listen carefully.

Focus on the silence and think about when you are listening to someone speak to you. Are you focusing on what they are saying? If we don't listen carefully, we miss out on a chance to learn something new. J.W. Marriott, Jr. said and I paraphrase, "...one who doesn't listen well risks missing critical information, losing (or never winning) the confidence of the other and forfeiting opportunity."

There are times when I will sit in a quiet room and simply work on listening. Practicing how to focus on different sounds and trying to identify them. One of the things I work on is simply being still. It was said by someone that said, "...in order to say the right thing at the right time, keep still most of the time."

Listening to others comes very natural to some and can be a learned skill by others. But either way, listening is important to our daily lives. Try it some time - focus on the other person and absorb what they say, regardless of how slow or fast they may talk. Whether you agree or disagree with them, you may just learn or find new possibility.

Wait, I did hear that!

Stay inspired my friends.