Attitude

I pray often to have the right values, priorities, attitudes, patience, understanding, wisdom, compassion, unselfishness, humbleness, and empathy. I know that I have had shortcomings in all of these virtues and I know that satisfaction, happiness, and peace of mind all keep company in this neighborhood of thought.

To find the path to this neighborhood of thought we must first employ the right attitude. We need to find a vehicle to move us through every avenue of experience and avoid temptation to detour to the negative side of thought.

Abraham Lincoln in his wisdom is credited with this quotation "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

There is no switch to just flip on for the joy of a good attitude, if we are suffering from depression it is more important and yet harder to attain a positive attitude.

However we will have an attitude of some value whether it be positive or negative during every wakened minute of our existence, for this we can be assured. I can only speak to this from my own life history, but I know that if I find myself in conflicting thoughts about my current life situation at any particular time, I will soon begin beating my self up over decisions, and actions that haunt me from my past. My cure for this swing to negativity and depressed feelings is to count my blessings and recite or read positive scripture or devotional material, such as "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31.

We have to be on guard at all times and not dwell on ourselves but find needs in our surroundings that we can attend to according to our own limitations. It does not have to be a large commitment just as long as it is something to get our minds off our own worries. Once we have found a vehicle to move us into an area of helping others no matter how limited it may be, we can begin to explore ways to build our confidence and ability to cope with every day problems of life.

We need to find a purpose to busy ourselves with that will make a positive difference in the world, as we know it. If we do this in the Name of God it can be like a mustard seed, or the leaven in the bread dough, and grow within us as we seek peace of mind, and the Kingdom of God.

Our goal will be to improve our attitude to the point that we can go to bed at night satisfied with our day enough to let us give thanks to the Lord for having lived it, and to wake in the morning with enough gumption to ask the Lord for another good day, and to expect it.

Php 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus."