Day 7: July 21, 2011

Welcome to the gun show.

(Me, brother bear)

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday 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% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
- Charles R. Swindoll

I feel like after putting up this quote I don't even really need to type anything, it speaks so loudly on it's own...with words so true. So often when I look back and reflect on those times when I had a bad day sure, there was some kind of event that started me off on the wrong foot but it was my sour outlook on everything else from that moment onward that made the rest of that day continue on it's trek downward. I think it's because we find that it's so much easier to place the blame on everyone and everything else that goes wrong, rather than realizing that it's our attitude that's really the problem.

I remember the first time I ever saw this quote, I was in the 8th grade and I took it all the wrong way. I understood what it meant and I wanted to completely change my attitude, but in doing so I would get mad at myself, and put myself down anytime I felt the natural human emotion of sadness. haha I think it's a wonderful idea to want to change your attitude and make it better, but you have to do it in the right way, and for the right reasons. Don't do it for anyone else but yourself.

So today I am challenging myself, and anyone else who's up for it to truly embrace their attitudes! Have an open mind to new people and new situations that you are facing each day. Change it for the better, but do it for your own happiness.

Write out this quote, or put it in your phone. Somewhere that you can look back to it and share it with others! With a better attitude and a loving outlook on life it will make such a difference!

LIVE.LAUGH.LOVE WASTEFULLY.