Attitude...

As I approach my birthday I must admit I am becoming retrospective.  I am observing myself as well as others and noticing what I admire and what I do not. Yes, I have read the magazine articles about the knowledge we gain and the empowerment we feel as we age. I do agree but I need to make these tangible in my life.  One thing that has been a common thread for me lately is ATTITUDE.


It goes without saying that attitude is important, it even trumps our approach as far as I am concerned. I do know that as we age life becomes heavier.  Having the right attitude at the right moment is hard to do.  I am not naive to think we have to be positive all the time and think "everything happens for a reason".  I don't truly believe that.  If something bad happens: that sucks.  If someone does something to piss you off, you might need to swear or bitch a bit about it... but then move on.  Don't drag others down with you.  You do not do this to friends or ones you love.  You need to adjust your attitude to move forward for what is best for you and those around you.




This boys looks like he is thankful for his Mothers breakfast and her very stylish kitchen decor. Is he touching her hand in admiration?  Awwww...



 My dear friend Lauri sent this poem to me after my last blog entry and it sparked the idea of this post a couple of weeks ago.

ATTITUDE

by

Charles Swindoll

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, 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 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 will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play 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 also like to think about the people in my life who have passed away recently and what  I take away from the type of life they led.  It really comes down to their attitude:

My Mom:  She never complained about getting sick or not feeling well.  She only ever said that she was getting old.  She never put that burden on us.  Amazing.

My Dad: He faced so much.  He was in the Navy, his plane was shot, he lost loved ones, battles at work but he always persevered.  He took such good care of my Mom and with such compassion. What an attitude

Mary Kay: She took on life with the attitude she could do anything.  She was fearless yet she had such empathy for others.  She battled cancer with humor and grace.

Aren't they adorable?  Miss them.

I also miss my Aunt Eleanor for her ability to adjust to change at all different and difficult times in her life. She had the right attitude.  She always knew she had to make it work and she did.  Miss that laugh.

Her son, Dave, took a spiritual approach to life. Life threw him a few serious curve balls and he always handled things and moved on.  A constant learner,volunteer and listener to many.He always had a optimistic and peaceful attitude.

Christmas eve is not the same at our house without these two.

l

Yes I have been doing some soul searching lately...

My take away from that poem is that life is 90% attitude.  A good theme for my 50th year.

Wish you all a good week.  

Eileen