There is a relationship between perception and reality. Through this connection, we can assume that being optimistic is of much importance.
When I think of remarkably optimistic characters, I think of Olaf because he remains his brilliant, bubbly, light-hearted, happy and friendly self even when faced with his own obstacle, a fireplace.
He responds to this dilemma as his face melts and slides to one side, “Some people are worth melting for.”
Yes, he’s a TV character, but the lessons one can learn from such optimism is universal. In theory, we all would want Olaf as our friend right? This proves how much attitudes make or break a person.
Being someone with a positive attitude isn’t about being happy when the moment warrants it; it’s about being content when things don’t go as you planned, when things get tough and when obstacles arise. Being optimistic makes all the difference in the world: it differentiates those who have success from those that squander it and live miserably, always blaming their state of unhappiness on external forces and never realizing the power of happiness is in their hands, in their minds actually.
The reality is, we can’t and don’t live in a perfect world so it’s time we not only stop pretending we do, but stop stressing over that which we can’t control.
Charles R. Swindoll once said:
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.
In this blogpost, I will introduce stories which I found have motivated me to have a positive attitude. I live by these stories.
If you’re hoping to change your life and you’ve already read these stories, reread them because as Dale Carnegie says in How To Stop Worrying And Start Living, “principles can be made habitual and unconscious only by a constant and vigorous campaign of review and application.”
Enjoy.
Attitude:
There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. “Well,” she said, “I think I’ll braid my hair today.” So she did and she had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. “Hmmm..,” she said, “I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today.” So she did and she had a grand day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. “Well,” she said, “Today I’m going to wear my hair in a pony tail.” So she did, and she had a fun, fun day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn’t a single hair on her head. “YAY!” she exclaimed. “I don’t have to fix my hair today!
Having a good attitude not only brightens your day, but opens doors and opportunities. It can attract that friend you’ve been waiting for; after all, people will drawn to or repelled by you by your attitude. I truly believe in this now because being positive has landed me the internship of my dreams.
Most importantly, your attitude is, well– yours, as Viktor E. Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning so eloquently said,
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
So if there’s one thing you know you can always hold on to and be in control of, it’s your attitude. If you lose a job or a loved one, pity and negativity will not get you anywhere. I have found that I tend to be negative when stressors are created or exacerbated by unmet expectations.
So I dedicate this next story to those of you who, like me, have high expectations, in hopes that someday we will define our own success not by the outcome of situations but by the power of our thoughts.
The Wise Old Man:
His wife of 70 has recently died, and he is obliged to leave his home.
After waiting several hours in the retirement home lobby, he gently smiles as he is told that his room is ready.
As he slowly walks to the elevator, using his cane, I describe his small room to him, including the sheet hung at the window which serves as a curtain.
“I like it very much”, he says, with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old boy who has just been given a new puppy.
“M. Gagné, you haven’t even seen the room yet, hang on a moment, we are almost there.”
“That has nothing to do with it”, he replies. “Happiness is something I choose in advance. Whether or not I like the room does not depend on the furniture, or the decor – rather it depends on how I decide to see it.”
“It is already decided in my mind that I like my room. It is a decision I take every morning when I wake up.”
“I can choose. I can spend my day in bed enumerating all the difficulties that I have with the parts of my body that no longer work very well, or I can get up and give thanks to heaven for those parts that are still in working order.”“Every day is a gift, and as long as I can open my eyes, I will focus on the new day, and all the happy memories that I have built up during my life. “
“Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw in later life what you have deposited along the way. “
So, my advice to you is to deposit all the happiness you can in your bank account of memories.
Thank you for your part in filling my account with happy memories, which I am still continuing to fill…
Remember these simple guidelines for happiness.
1.Free your heart from hate.
2. Free your mind from worry.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
And now, the final story is one especially beneficial to Millennials raised craving the fastest cars and technology, latest fashions, and the most prestigious jobs. We are taught to focus on things so often that we stop living and instead define life and success by the possession of material goods, which do not define happiness or success.
Hot Chocolate:
A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups- porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite — telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: ‘Notice that all the nice looking; expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
The cup that you’re drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups…And then you began eyeing each others cups.
Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The happiest people don’t have the best of everything.. They just make the best of everything that they have.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate.
destrez 