Your Attitude: Your window to the world

You must have heard certain things about attitude; like "your attitude can shape your personality and even your life", and "you must keep a positive attitude to have a happy and positive life" Well, so did I. But, have you ever given it a thought? , What is the meaning of so many quotes on attitude surfing day in and out on the internet? I am sure just like the majority of us, you too decided to scroll past it. Well, today I am here to make you stop and think about the deeper meaning behind those quotes. And are they just quoting or does something like this exist? Let’s find it out.

Imagine asking someone, “how are you?” And getting a response like “don’t even ask, my life is awful, nothing ever seems to go right”. How would you feel? I am sure not very happy or energized.

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Now imagine someone responding, “Everything is going great, there are certain problems but what is life without them? I am sure I’ll find some way”. How would you feel now? Even if not energized, I am sure it won’t be awful. What do you think is the difference between the two that made them answer differently? Let me tell you. The difference is called Attitude!

When they say, “A positive thought in the morning can determine your entire day”. What is it that they are talking about? It’s your attitude! How you choose to perceive the world or your day determines how your day will go. What you tell yourself or others can have a huge impact on you, yourself as well as others! This isn’t something I read somewhere and I am explaining you. It’s proven.

Let me explain with a story that my grandma used to narrate to me when I was a kid.

One day a mother took her child to the doctor as the child was unwell, and the doctor said “your child can never get better, this is a rare problem he is born with, he won’t ever be able to behave like normal kids” the mother decided to keep this as a secret from her husband and son. She used to tell her kid that you are completely normal, the only thing rare about you is you! You will study with the rest of the children. And, to the doctor’s surprise, he grew up to be a normal human being. One day when his mother died, he found the reports that were kept somewhere in his mother’s Almira. He went to the doctor who confirmed that the reports were true, “your mother refused to give up on you, she kept a positive attitude and as a result, she won” he added.

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Think of your attitude as the mental filter through which you experience the world. Some people see the world through the filter of optimism, while some see it through a filter of pessimism.

We all start in life with a good attitude. Just watch young children. They’re always laughing and giggling, not uttering a bad word to anyone, and always wanting the best for others. They have a sunny disposition and they love to explore new things. When the child starts learning how to walk. Have you ever noticed or observed him? He tries to walk, falls, doesn’t frown or blame the floor, gets up again, and tries again with a smile on his face, and one day he learns how to walk. His window of attitude is squeaky clean, and he feels like he can conquer the world. But as you know, there comes a point where life starts throwing dirt on our windows in the form of criticism from parents, peers, rejection, disappointments and the list never ends. The dirt keeps building up and we do nothing about it. We lose enthusiasm and get frustrated some of us even develop health problems out of it, all because we failed to clean up our windows.

Going back to the story, think about What would have happened if he would have given up the first time he fell? Or he would have been frustrated/ irritated? Well, he didn’t. You are the person I am talking about here! Were you not this child who with a smile on his/her face, decided to face it all and walk again? What happened now? Imagine the smile on the face of your younger self, do you want to disappoint that child? No, right? So, For the sake of that child and the smile on his face, let’s try life again, this time with a smile on our faces and a positive attitude in our hearts. I am going to do this, are you?

Also, the next time someone asks you how is your day going, tell them you will handle whatever it is with a smile.

A happy person is not the one in a certain set of circumstances, but rather the one with a ceratin set of attitude ~ Hugh Downs