I woke up this morning with a bad attitude. It wasn’t a feeling. It was an attitude of the heart.
I didn’t realize it was a problem though. I didn’t feel confident about a new project. I was putting it off because I didn’t know where to start.
I had been shuffling papers but not really getting after it. No traction and I was feeling stuck.
I went for a trail run in the rain and followed it up with a short reading from The Difference Maker by John Maxwell and inspiration from the bible from Psalm 121.
There were 3 things I learned about attitude. I call these Laws of Life; i.e. “How things work.” Like gravity, there is a way things work.
1. Choose Personal responsibility. No one will choose for me. I can choose my attitude. Maxwell writes Stop listening to yourself. Start talking to yourself. Think different. Do different. Motion changes your emotion. What can you do different today?
2. Forgive To forgive is a choice that comes from your heart. The attitude of payback or justice gets in the way, creating resentments. To forgive means I don’t need to payback or get justice. God takes care of that. Let go. Let God. Get on with your life. Who can you forgive today?
3. Compassion Solidarity means I stand along side of you rather than face to face. When I stand in solidarity with you I see you doing your best as I am doing my best. Who can you stand with today?
These 3 Laws of Life are attitude boosters. At the office or at home, they work if you work them. Just like a work station in the gym. Sure there are other ways to jump start your day out of a bad attitude.
Note; choice, forgiveness, and compassion are not feelings. They are attitudes of the heart. They are something we do whether we feel like it or not.
Try one a day for just one week. It’s like one a foam roller that makes an impact very quickly.