I believe ATTITUDE is very important as we live our life in general but it is critical to adopt “AN ATTITUDE” as we enter the aging process.
Have you ever heard the phrase “aging is not for sissies”? There is much truth in that statement. As we age, things begin to happen to our bodies, ol’ Arthur comes calling to many of us, it takes us longer to process information and it sometimes seems like everyone is giving us advice on how to live our life.
I began to work with seniors and disabled individuals in 1994 and I have been blessed to help many individuals and families through very challenging situations. I have noticed people that have an attitude of doing things “instead of” not “because of” have better outcomes to whatever circumstance they are dealing with at the time. For example, I recently met an 87-year-old woman named Betty who has been independent her whole life. She only called my company for assistance because she needed help following a cataract surgery. In visiting with her, I discovered she was born with vision in only one eye but did not choose to be disabled because of her limited vision but went on to become a “draftsman”. In other words, she chose to do her lifework “instead of” not “because of”.
Another person that comes to my mind when I talk about attitude is my friend, Jessie. I met Jessie when she was in her late 80’s and was facing a double knee replacement. The first time I visited Jessie was in the hospital following her surgery. When I commented on the fact that one knee replacement surgery was fairly aggressive and then asked why she had chosen to have both knees replaced, Jessie smiled at me and with a twinkle in her eyes said, “Honey, at my age I don’t have time to mess around”. This is a perfect example of how Jessie has lived her life, every day always expecting the best to happen instead of the worse. It is her attitude that has carried her through many adverse moments and situations. Just for the record, Jessie is now in her mid 90’s.
Jessie and Betty are both women I inspire to be each and every day.
I can never talk about attitude without remembering the wonderful words of Charles Swindoll about ATTITUDE which helps to guide my “Daily Attitude Adjustment” and I leave them with you.
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
“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, than education, than money, than circumstances, than successes, than failures, 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 every day 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 your ATTITUDE…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react. And so it is with you, we are in charge of our ATTITUDES.
– Charles Swindoll