12 Days of Christmas
Day 9: Gift of a Positive Attitude
When I was a little girl, I would spend some Sunday afternoons at my Grandma’s house. She would give me little chores to do like setting the table for dinner, dusting her living room, or working in her rose garden. I disliked the dusting part the most because she had so many knick knacks. If I gave the slightest hint of acting grumpy, she would say, ”Margaret Lynn, you will get a lot more in this world with sugar, than you will get with salt.” I remember thinking, huh?? But she was right! I learned the gift of a positive attitude, or sugar, at a very early age.
To this day, I still understand the importance of a positive attitude and strive to demonstrate one each day. My Grandma’s words have stayed with me for 45 years. Her words can be likened to the rhythm or lyrics of a song we really like, you know the ones that play over and over in our brains sometimes.
In his daily devotional book, Awake My Heart, J. Sidlow Baxter wrote,
What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty and every difficulty has an opportunity.
When we can develop and maintain a positive attitude, we can make the most of our obstacles and reframe them into opportunities. Even when I have faced tremendous challenges, I choose to keep on smiling. I'll share some things that have helped me keep a positive attitude:
See my mistakes/failures as opportunities to learn
Focus on my strengths
Expose myself to new opportunities
Associate myself with people who encourage me
Awareness that attitude is a matter of choice
The power of a positive attitude is contagious. Be sure your attitude is worth catching.
May the gifts of joy, peace, and happiness be yours this holiday season.
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