I found the following quote on a Facebook post, “Sometimes the only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude.” Do you agree? Or would you respond by saying, oh no, not one of them; a naïve Pollyanna who views the world through rose-colored glasses?
There are so many stress-producing things that raise blood pressure or heighten anxiety every day. Family and work relationships are sources of joy and strife. I heard bad news generates advertising dollars; that could be the reason we get so much of it.
The current situation reminds me of “A Little Good News.” A hit song Anne Murray sang years ago. She was just asking to hear a little good news because she heard so little over the airwaves. Things haven’t changed since that song was penned.
Despite all the bad news and problems that surround us, we might have more control over the trajectory of our days than initially thought. We have an opportunity to determine or control our thoughts. Attitude is one of them.
According to Steven Covey author of, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, our lives are lived within a concentric circle consisting of three layers. The outer and largest layer is the Circle of Concern, the middle layer is called the Circle of Influence with the inner and smallest circle being the Circle of Control.
The weather and world peace are examples of the Circle of Concern. We are concerned about them, but there is little we can do to control them. Local and state politics are examples of our Circle of Influence. we can do our part, but we don’t control the outcome. However, the Circle of Control is where our power lies.
I have a love-hate relationship with technology. I love it when it works and hates it when it doesn’t. The following antidote will highlights how changing my attitude turned what could have been a bad day into a good one.
I wanted to log in to my bank account to check the balance. I put in the username and last four digits of my SS#. I was denied access. I double-checked to make sure the login information was correct but was denied access again. I called the tech help number. After providing the information the representative attempted to transfer the call, but it was dropped. The old me (bad attitude) would be fuming. However, I called back with a positive attitude and tone and got the result I wanted. I changed my attitude and exercised the power within my Circle of Control.
Feel free to share examples of how you were able to control your day despite the circumstances.