ATTITUDE: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING

Attitude is the determining factor for personal happiness. "As a man thinketh so is he."  The very thoughts and perceptions in the conscious and subconscious mind determine joy. To change the degree of happiness, one must change their thoughts and perceptions to an elevated level of responsible thinking. 

 However, its impossible to see anything in a positive light if someone views them self as a negative force. One cannot serve two masters. The negative perception must be replaced with a healthy image and backed by positive reinforcement. When people inwardly labeled themselves as "a negative person," they must redefine their perception immediately! Healthy goals would be to continually and perpetually move toward divine worth and personal growth. One of the most important ingredients in this formula is to love oneself and to constantly strive to perceive ones image as a positive entity.  When this is mastered, it becomes very easy and natural to love others. 

People who spend their time with those of low moral integrity and character, soon come to realize that its just a matter of time before they display the same type of behavior. (Hurting people, usually hurt people.) If there is no relief from the negative environment, then its easy to become affixed to a dysfunctional behavior (especially children, who are typically vulnerable to inadequate parenting).  

The caliber of an individual can be measured by the amount of opposition it takes to discourage them. A dysfunctional mind is easily recognized through its shortcomings: it blames other, makes excuses, loses control, is critical, holds grudges, lashes out and displays the characteristics much like that of an adolescent. Remember that attitude is an inward feeling often expressed by an outward behavior. One cannot change these habits until first recognizing the harmful characteristics and shifting away from destructive behavior. The first step to healthier relationships is recognizing that the behavioral patterns are dysfunctional. 

We are made up of belief systems and many of them are dysfunctional, inaccurate and irresponsible. "The cup is either half full or half empty." Nonsense!  The cup is constantly overflowing with opportunities for success and we are the beneficiaries of this abundance. "Life has beaten me down."  Ridiculous!  There is only one thing that has the power to beat you down, and that's you. "Money brings happiness." Hogwash!  Take a closer look at some of the richest people in the world, they are miserable and their personal lives are a mess. "I can't help it, I was born this way." Poppycock! You were born with endless possibilities for greatness and no one in the history of time will ever have the ability to become you.

Bruce Lipton is a brilliant cellular biologist who specializes in genetics.  He discovered exactly how the body creates normal and pathological information, and telegraphs it to the cells.  His conclusions determined that environment, thoughts and perceptions are the only factors that creates healthy and diseased cells, and produces levels of happiness. In his studies, he took the exact same group of cells, placed them separately in two contrasting environments and found that they produced completely opposite results (even though they were identical cells). His conclusion: DNA does not determine who you are, rather thoughts and perceptions are the soul governing power and matrix that forms the characteristics of an individual. The spirit fluid within our thoughts and perceptions telegraphs to every cell in the body what is being perceived, and our entire being manifests the results.

So stop waiting for something to happen and take responsibility for happenings. Let everyday unfold into a masterpiece and spend your time creating joy in everything you do! Abandon the mistaken beliefs that money and things create happiness.  My son Brian has a saying above the fireplace in their home: "The greatest things in life are not things at all." Happiness is a place in the soul where peace and harmony intersect, its contagious and the most sought after characteristic in the world.

"Developing a magnificent attitude is wonderful and incredibly rewarding." This is a true statement! It is wonderful, it feels wonderful, it produces results, it creates light and energy, spreads joy and happiness, provides opportunity, delights in peace and harmony, promotes greatness, validates truth, believes in equality, edifies love, serves mankind, is praiseworthy, progresses forward... and the fruits of its labors are infinite. "There is no greater joy in the world than happiness!" 


It takes practice to develop a magnificent attitude, but first one must eliminate "stinking thinking!" Be conscious and recognize the difference between positive and negative thoughts when they start to develop.  There is a big difference between a person who has a problem and one who is a problem.  Learn to recognize the signs and if you are drifting into the negative zone, stop it immediately. Don't make excuses for yourself and own up to your behavior. Be responsible for your thoughts and perceptions by only allowing the positive ones to develop. 

Remember when you were little and your parents told you to "behave yourself!"  If everyone followed those two little words of council, the world would change in the twinkling of an eye.

One man with an extraordinary attitude was U.S. Marine Chesty Puller.  When he found himself surrounded by eight enemy divisions during the Korean War, his response was, "All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us and they're behind us.  They can't get away from us now!"

It takes integrity and self worth to recognize negative tendencies and it's the first step to healing.  Work to cultivate positive thinking and a paradigm shift will begin to occur (perceptions of the world and inner self will gradually change). Its always wise to remember that life is filled with obstacles, they are inevitable, but attitude makes all the difference in how you deal with those obstacles.  Attitude determines happiness, it makes good people great and great people seem immortal.  Attitude is not just a beautiful way, it's the only way. By, Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day.