“Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.” – Robert Braathe
Like a photographer chooses what lens to put on his or her camera, we all choose, each day, what “lens on life” we will use to view our respective worlds. The lenses we choose will yield different and unique perspectives. Those perspectives then shape what we see, how we feel, how we react, and they serve as a foundational factor in the attitudes we display back to the world. It all starts with the choices we make!
Not only do we choose what lens to put on our “metaphorical cameras,” we also decide where to aim the lens we have chosen. Clearly, it is easy to find ugliness everywhere in the world today, especially in all things 2020.
It is, however, even during these extremely difficult times, possible to find magnificent beauty, compassion, love, and joy all around us… if we’ll only pick different lenses and/or aim them in different directions.
I love Mr. Braathe’s quote above. Gratitude and attitudes are choices we make, minute by minute all day long. By the way, not choosing our attitudes intentionally, is also a choice! Not making a choice is a choice made by millions of unhappy people around the world. We all have bad days, that is life. Sometimes, we let those “bad days” shape our longer-term attitudes. I see that as a problem to long-term happiness.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Victor Frankl
In this week of Thanksgiving, I’m intentionally choosing to be more grateful. How about you? I know I am guilty of taking way too many people, and way to many things for granted.
This is the season to let each of the important people in your life know how important they are to you. May each of you find time this week to reflect upon your life and the people who are important to you. How will you show your gratitude for those people this week?
Would you be willing to share your ideas and experiences with my readers?
- How do you intentionally manage your attitude?
- How do you maintain an attitude of gratitude?
- What actions can we take to show our appreciation of others? (please be specific)
- What have you done to keep your spirits up during these challenging times?
I have put these questions into a survey. If you have a few minutes, please share your answers to these questions. I will publish the results of this survey in the next couple of weeks.
Thanks to all who take time to read my musings week after week. I appreciate your likes, shares, comments, and encouragement. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for those who have mentored, coached, encouraged, loved, supported and even challenged me along my path. I am so very grateful and abundantly thankful!
May you have a safe and wonderful holiday season. I don’t know where I found the following, or for whom to give proper credit, I have always liked it: “May you always have love to share, health to spare, and friends that care!”
PS, For those of you who have asked and expressed concern, Becky’s mom passed away over the weekend. While it sounds so cliché, she is in a much better place. She was a loving spouse, mom, and grandmother. We miss her dearly already and are grateful for so many years of loving memories. While we are still working out arrangements in this COVID world, we are hoping to be able to honor her life next week. I will not be available for publishing next week. I will return on December 7th.
Happy Thanksgiving! Be safe. Be well. Dream bigger. Do better! Let’s choose to be our “best selves” this week!!
