The choice is yours

It is very easy to let things get to you. I try very hard to have a good attitute but hey, I am human. Sometimes crap just gets piled so high and it begins to affect me.

Several years ago i was introduced to the Fish Principles. If you have not read “The On Purpose Person” by Kevin McCarthy you really need to pick it up. One of the many things I leared in that bodk was that I choose my attitude. No matter what happens throughout my day, I choose how I react to it. My attitude is the one thing I have total control over. I have nothing to do with the idiot driving in the fast last with a foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake. I cannot control the person in front of me in the line to get my morning coffee who has chosen this moment to get educate on what exactly this whole espresso thing is about. Even as much as I would like to, I cannot control people who just stop in the middle of a walkway to have a conversation oblivious to the fact that no one can move around them. Yes these are all small things, but I KNOW you are probably nodding your head right now smiling.

We all get in a hurry and these little things add up and add stress to our day. it is these little things that add up very quickly and are usually piling on top of a much more stressful situation. Big problems like production issues, financing, employees, taxes and others are often things that the entrepreneur must deal with often alone. As a business owner I may not be an expert in any of these areas nor be even qualified to attack them but they are still my responsibility.

So I have to just figure things out, or as Amy would tell me, “Suck it up cupcake!”  If my attitude starts to slip all of this comes crumbling down and it affects everything. I am constantly amazed at how much easier a solution comes when I have a smile on my face. Every adversity is an opportunity for me. That is how I CHOOSE to look at things. I choose to see things from a positive perspective and there by choosing my attitude.

Now does it work all the time? Am I a shining example of a guy that is always up?  In a word…… no. Of course not, sheez! I do however strive for that. The biggest compliment someone could ever pay me is to speak of how positive I always am. That tells me that I am on purpose.I know that if I remain positive in everything, I will succeed, period.

This may sound just stupid to some of you so I challenge you to test me on this. Put a post it on your screen right now that simply says CHOOSE. It can be just a subtle reminder that the only thing you can control is your attitude and everyday your are presented with opportunities to choose.  Remember you choose whether you realize it or not. Also, the alternative to a positive attitude is…….? Don’t be that person.

Put a smile on your face and choose to be positive! I dare you!