Choices. You make choices every day, starting the moment you wake up in the morning. Do you get out of bed or do you go back to sleep? What should you eat for breakfast? What should you wear to work? At the very basic level, we learn to make these choices without batting an eye. They are natural. They're second nature. We've made choices in so many small decisions most days of our life that we forget we're even doing it. It becomes part of who we are.
Taking it up a notch, many of us have forgotten that we also make internal choices each day. These stem a little deeper, but have also become second nature. These are the choices that decide your character and who you will become. These things have become so natural that you may not even realize you have a choice in the matter. For example, you receive an email from a coworker that comes across abrupt and snide. You may be used to reacting negatively, wondering what's wrong with your coworker, or perhaps what's wrong with you. This may progress to less effective communications in the future, and an overall breakdown in the relationship, creating true animosity. However, the day before, your coworker learned that she has cancer, and she was trying to keep it together at work. Her abrupt tone had nothing to do with you and everything to do with her life situation.
Another example: You wake up and have a general grumpy feeling. You're tired, your back hurts, you don't want to go to work, and you wish your boss would give you a raise. You go to work feeling negative and defeated because you woke up focused on the negatives of your situation. You're grumpy to your coworkers and they begin to think you don't like them. Over time, you become isolated and alone, and you start to feel depressed and as though nobody in your life cares about you.
Let's consider now how these situations could be different with a positive spin. Your coworker sends you an email that comes across negatively. Instead of immediately assuming there is something wrong with you or the coworker, you walk over to the coworker and start up a chat, asking how she's doing and what's new in her life. Eventually she tells you that she found out she has cancer. You talk with her some more and tell her you'll pray for her and that you're there if she needs anything. Later that day she sends you a note, telling you that she was feeling so discouraged when she arrived at work, but after speaking with you she felt so much more hopeful and positive. WOW. What a difference your attitude made in this situation!
In the second situation, you arrive to work grumpy, turn people away from you, and begin feeling depressed over time. Let's say that on the particular morning that you wake up feeling tired, with an achy back and an overall feeling of grumpyness, instead of focusing on that, you summon your inner God-given strength, and push through it. You think about all of the things in life that make you happy. You pray to God for strength, encouragement, and hope. Upon arrival at work, you focus on how you can help others, even if it's just a smiling face or a positive attitude. As a result, your coworkers find you to be a refreshing part of their unit and come to you often as a trusted, helpful, and positive resource.
The choice is YOURS. Will you focus on the positive or the negative in life? If you want to be miserable, then you should choose the latter. However, if you want to experience true life changing joy, CHOOSE to change your attitude right this moment. It will be the most difficult task you've ever taken on. It really will. It will be an adjustment. Certain people in your life may resist your change, but press on. You'll begin to notice a shift in your overall view of the world and the context of your life. You'll begin to notice more beauty around you every day. You'll notice more beauty in the people you encounter. And you'll experience a higher degree of gratitude for the Lord, and the depth of His character, and the peace, hope, and love that come through a relationship in Him.
If you don't believe me, I encourage you to test it out. Try it for a week or two and see what happens. After all, what do you have to lose?
"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12
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