you choose

You Choose

“Watch your thoughts, for they become your words.
Watch your words, for they become your actions.
Watch your actions, for they become your habits.
Watch your habits, for they become your character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” – Unknown

Are you a self-fulfilling prophecy? Do you start out your day at 6am saying things like… “today is starting off just awful”… and you have proof:
The alarm didn’t go off, the toddler wet the bed, the milk jug is empty, the kinder-gardener REFUSES to put her hair up, the dog had an “accident” on your clean laundry pile, your hairspray is empty, the toilet won’t flush… I could keep going, but does this sound like a typical morning at your house?

Then you think “it’s going to be one of those days….”  Does your Twitter feed read more like a sob story?  If the “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” in your Facebook Status instantly translated itself, would it be simply “whining”?  (Yes, I said that!)

Come on guys! Take 2 minutes and think back to all of the times you started out your day that way:  negative, expecting the worst, defeated.  Did it turn out awesome? Probably not.

If you have a day where you have tons to do, and no time to do it… be thankful. I’m reading a story right now about a guy that spent 11.5 months VERTICAL in a hospital bed.  He was basically crushed in an automobile accident.  Among other extensive injuries, he literally lost (they never found it) 4” from his femur.  They had to “regrow” it.  I bet he would have loved to have had a busy, hectic, stress-filled day.  He would have given just about anything to get out of that bed and not have to stare at the ceiling!

The other day I attended the Open House at my daughter’s middle school.  The event started off with a quick meeting, and then all of the parents basically had approximately 5-10 minute “class meetings”, to go through the entire day of class rotations for their children.  Earlier in the day, my daughter mentioned that one of her teachers probably wouldn’t be there that night.  She has had a particularly rough time.  Furthermore, she was dealt some terrible news earlier in the school day.  See if her situation changes your mind about yours:

At the end of the school year, the teacher found out that her husband has leukemia.  While we all traveled, went to the lake, and hung out at the pool, the teacher and her husband spent 4 months in the hospital.  While in the hospital, the teacher’s sister-in-law (her husband’s sister), was in the room across the hall in the Oncology unit.  She had pancreatic cancer.  She passed away over the weekend (the Open House I attended was on a Tuesday, 2 days after her the death of the teacher’s sister-in-law).  But wait, just when you think it couldn’t get any worse…  The teacher’s daughter was one of the many who visited family over the Labor Day weekend.  She had been in town visiting the teacher.  However, when she returned home, there was NOTHING left.  Her house, and everything in it, burned to the ground in one of the many Texas wildfires.

What absolutely amazed, blessed, and inspired me was the attitude that this teacher displayed at the Open House.  Despite all of the “things” going on in her life, SHE WAS THERE!  She was all smiles, bragged on the kids and stated how much she was loving being back to “normal”.  She was so positive, and so strong.  She is looking devastation in the face, and moving forward.  Attacking each day with the “How can I?” attitude, rather than the “Can I?”  One word changes your whole outlook!

So tomorrow morning, when the cat pukes in your shoe, be glad you have more than one pair of shoes.  When the orange juice jug is empty, be thankful that you have running water at your disposal, and have a glass of water.  When your sink backs up, be happy you have indoor plumbing.  I challenge you to step back and look at the wonderful things you do have, and CHOOSE to make tomorrow a great day, no matter what!

“The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances.” -Martha Washington

For more on Martha Washington, check out the blog:  Be Happy.

 

Tags: abilene martial arts, attitude, chip townsend, confidence, karate, life skills, martial arts, team chip tae kwon do, team chip tkd