by LuAnne Steininger
Attitude
Welcome to a potpourri of topics, ideas, tips and inspiring quotes that “add life to years.” Each edition of GenerationBoomer we will feature one or more topics for improved health, recognizing that wellness incorporates many aspects of well-being. The National Wellness Institute gives the following definition of wellness; “Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices towards, a more successful existence.” Using this definition clearly puts us at choice. We strive to achieve balance in spirit, mind and body, we recognize the ongoing process of achieving full potential and we start right where we are. Let's look at attitude.
Attitude is the face we show to the world, our outlook on the world. It may be an aptitude, an inclination or tendency. It could be a mental position, a feeling or an emotion in response to a fact. Attitude could also be physical, as in body language. Inner attitude radiates meaning without words. Using our definition of wellness, it could be a tool of self knowledge. Attitudes can betray our most secret thoughts and emotions. They are the face that is always with us, whether we like it or not. Most of all, if we know our attitudes we can change them. Many of our attitudes are learned. A really good place to start is to figure out what was learned, what is automatic and what our usual response is to life. Ask yourself the proverbial question; is my glass half full or half empty? Do I have hardening of the attitudes?
Once you've determined what you want to change, practice. Catch yourself in those bad attitude moments and say something affirming to yourself or others. Notice if anything changes.
Pay attention! Try this pattern again and again. Keep creating positive, personal, present tense and powerful statements about yourself. For example, you could say; “I am confident, capable and courageous.”
The good news is that a healthy attitude may affect our health. Scientists are discovering more and more connections between the mind and the body. An improved outlook on life could be worth the extra effort in improved health.
Give up thinking you can change someone else's attitude. Start with yourself. Decide how your day is going to go. Are you tired when you wake up or are you full of enthusiasm to get going? Either way, you have a choice. What you say to yourself and how you say it can determine how your day will go. Decide to have a nice day!
Attitude is the single, most important aspect of our lives. Enjoy this quote from Charles Swindoll and chose, in every moment, to have a really fabulous life. “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude in life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than education, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. Attitude will make or break a company…. The remarkable thing is, we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past….we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have; and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.”
(LuAnne Steininger, M.S., is the Wellness Coordinator at the Sanford Center for Aging. She has worked with people ages 50+ for 20 years and has taught fitness for 30 years. She is also on the leading edge of the boomer generation.)