A while ago I found that when I walked into my living room, I’d think, “I really don’t like the way this room looks. I wish I could just get rid of all this furniture and start over.” Over the next days, my attitude toward that room got more and more negative, almost like, “Ugh.” Then I realized I wouldn’t be getting new furniture any time soon, so I tried rearranging the furniture, scooting everything around. When I finally finished, I stepped back and thought, “Wow! It really looks good this way. I like this room!” I was able to see the furniture from a new perspective and gained a fresh new attitude about that room.
Every day, we choose the way we see our life, whether we will be grateful or negative about what we think is good and not good. When we begin to focus on the negative, we see more negative and allow that negative perspective to rule over us. We allow our circumstances to dictate our attitude, and life becomes a struggle. It’s like swimming against the current. Instead of looking at the richness in our life, all we’re seeing is the negative.
We need to learn how to manage our thoughts and to be made new in our attitudes. The Bible tells us to constantly “be made new in the attitude of our mind” (Ephesians 4:23). When you get down and discouraged about something, you need to push your thoughts around so your thoughts don’t push you around. You need to rearrange your thoughts in simple ways so you can literally see what you have and then enjoy what you have. Sometimes you just need to change the atmosphere that you’re in. Maybe you need to walk outside and look at the trees, the sky, and the beautiful flowers that God has created and think about something different. Maybe there are some mundane things that you’re doing that you need to change, such as going out to lunch with some new people and listening to their ideas and learning about their lives. Sometimes you just need to get a new outlook on what you already have. It might be as simple as writing down all the things that are right in your life.
Did you get up this morning ready to embrace the day? You’ve heard the saying, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” Your attitude has a direct correlation with your success. Someone with a good attitude sees solutions and feels as though they can tackle anything. How you see your life makes all the difference in the world!