Attitude and Change

Health issues can be quite severe. For many the most uncomfortable part is the not knowing. Most likely our attitude changes when we know exactly what we face. Now we can make a plan of progression.

Loss of anything we love or treasure has a great impact on our attitude. Some things can be fixed or overcome, others we must learn to change our lifestyle in order to be happy again.

Being too judgmental can cause anyone to have a bad attitude. For instance, possible changes in the health care system and other governmental choices can cause us to be angry and apprehensive.

Learn to listen to your own voice. What is your inner self telling you? At the same time, challenge yourself to be more open and examine more than one train of thought.

Look for positives in a situation. Moaning and crying and listening to others doing the same will not enable you to meet new challenges and situations.

Make a list of the pros and cons. What is the worst that could happen? How could you change your behavior or a situation to make challenges more positive for you? What is the best possible outcome? Is the task very overwhelming and thereby you know you'll never get it done and when you do it probably won't work?

Take time to think about breaking the task into small parts. You'll probably do much better and possibly even enjoy working toward the changed goal.

If you're afraid of the future and changes that may have more serious consequences, practice on making smaller changes. Challenge yourself with small changes every day. Take a new route, go out of your way to visit a unique shop or restaurant. Take time to make small talk with those you meet along the way. You may be surprised how much these small changes can change your attitude - and your way of dealing with even more difficult changes.

Sometimes we have setbacks. We lose our job, the car doesn't start, the kids are sick or perhaps even a terrible trauma. At those times the goal should be to get through the present moment. Don't give up!

Also remember that new challenges and changes of attitudes are healthy and good for your brain. As you get older, you will appreciate it if you can identify changes that must be made and that you can follow through by yourself for as long as possible. Don't fret if you can't do something well or if you try it and decide it's not for you.

To be successful you must at least like, and better yet, love what you're good at. If you don't like something, don't do it "just because." Grumbling will help neither attitude nor help you make good changes. Instead, find something else you do enjoy doing.

Sometimes the biggest risk of all is doing nothing to change a situation.

But also, sometimes the "safest" thing to do is "something" - almost anything - to remove yourself from that situation.

By adjusting and "growing" your attitude, you learn to identify more reason for change. Again, try to learn new things or new ways of doing things every day. You may not always agree with everything you see and hear, but it does challenge your brain to process and then you can make your decisions more wisely.

Remember, if you wash the same elephant the same way every day, you will always have the same old elephant.