Joy Series - Maintaining a joyful attitude
Have you ever noticed in life that the same stone that one person might be tripping over can be used as a stepping stone by the next? You can be in the same situation with the next person but have a whole different experience, the very same conditions get different responses from different individuals. This all depends on our outlook, perception, and how we react to everyday stimuli. In a world full of somberness, fear, tragedy, and all things negative, there remain those bright souls glowing from positivity who seek to see everything with better light and this, in turn, propels them into higher dimensions in life.
Attitude is defined as an enduring organization of beliefs, behavioral tendencies, and feelings towards your surroundings. It is your manner of reaction towards any action that is directed your way or that which you are in observation of. Your attitude is your responsibility, you choose to have a positive and joyful attitude. The energy you want to put out there, that all depends on you. In the book ‘Attitude is everything’ by Jeff Keller, he defines attitude as a window with which we get to have a view of the world and a mental filter that can alter our perception. The filter is however controlled by you, the choice to change it when it is all stained with negativity is your responsibility.
The first step to having a having and maintaining a joyful attitude is to be intentional about it, you identify your problem areas and you decide to change. You might not be positive by nature but you can cultivate the quality by choosing a specific focus. Joy being an intrinsic emotion, which l would define as the position of your heart when you focus on the right things that are good for your mental health your attitude becomes more positive and joyful. This is not something that happens overnight, it takes time to twitch your mind from the negatives to start focusing on the positives. Cultivating and keeping the right attitude is a process that one has to be dedicated to doing every single day, from the seeding of the right type of seeds to the general maintenance of the garden which is your mind. The weeding, watering, and growth of those seeds of positivity all depend on your commitment towards the garden of your mind.
In the journey of maintaining a joyful attitude, it is important to be surrounded by the right kind of crowd, people with the same qualities that you are planning on incorporating into your attitude. Being surrounded by positivity can easily help you change the daily perception of life and its situations. Positivity is contagious and so is negativity, the more you hang with pessimists it is only a matter of time before you become one of them. Avoid complaints, anytime you want to complain stop yourself and try to find the solution to what you want to complain about.
You ought to take responsibility for your thoughts, be cautious of what you allow your mind to feed on, your thoughts are the seeds. It is unreasonable for you to plant corn seeds and expect to reap wheat, what you plant is always the outcome. Feed your mind on all things that make you grow, that makes you hopeful and positive for what is to come. You become a problem solver and a source of joy even for others. Being a positive thinker doesn’t mean you ignore or do not see that which is bad, in every unfortunate situation you go through you just do not allow it to break you, you react by finding lessons from it and getting out stronger than before.
Speak positively. Our speech plays a huge role in influencing our attitude, always speak life, hope, and abundance. You will see your attitude lighting up with positivity when you learn to speak the right way in any situation. Most times we end up having an unbearable attitude because we have too high expectations for the people around us, we have pegged them so high up and have given no room for err. The moment we realize that perfection is a standard no one can reach we become more accepting and tolerant of other people and we
automatically begin to see the best in them and tend to bring out the best in everyone around us. Give room for err and forgive the limitations of others, in the process you will be changing the filter with which you see the world to be one of acceptance and love making you a more joyful person, seeing the world in color and not seeing offense on every corner.
When you are miserable you obviously cannot maintain a joyful attitude, you become snappy, bitter, and unfriendly. When you have a whole lot of garbage inside you, it spills over any chance you get, even on the wrong people. Same case if you are full of all things good, you will exude a happy, joyful, and positive vibe everywhere you are. The key is spending much time doing things you love and those you are passionate about. They bring about this energy to you that keeps you joyful.
Sometimes our struggle with attitude is rooted in that we always put ourselves first, we are overly selfish in the name of self-care. When you become a considerate person who can put himself in the place of somebody else, molding your attitude becomes easy. You will be able to look beyond the situation or disagreement at hand and get to understand the person behind. Gratitude creates the perfect environment for a joyful attitude, a grateful heart seeks for good and all the right things to the thankful about in every situation. Be grateful and your attitude will flourish. Maintaining a joyful attitude is a daily task, check yourself daily to identify the problem areas until you become one of the solutions. In all cases, if good does not arouse itself to be active, the contrary takes charge.