My Dearest Daughters,
“If you don’t like something, then change it. If you can’t change it, then change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou, American Poet
Attitude: What we think and how we feel about someone or something shapes our behavior. Attitude may seem like a small thing, but it forms our perspective of how we see the world around us. It guides our decisions, and it sets the stage for the impact we make in this life. It can help us to soar like an eagle or cause us to crash and burn in a downward spiral. It promotes unity or division. It leads to healing or hurt. It facilitates change or strengthens the status quo. Attitude matters.
Attitude and Opportunities
Throughout our lives, we will see a myriad of things that we don’t like and desire to change within ourselves and in the world around us. These may range from the simplicity of our diet and exercise regimen (Simple Rarely = Easy) to the more complicated issues of social and political injustice, but regardless of the change required or level of complexity to overcome, our attitude toward the issue will shape our behavior, which will greatly contribute to the success or failure of the change effort.
Set Your Mind and Heart on Faith, Hope, and Love
From the trivial to the crucial, setting your attitude (your mind and heart) on Faith, Hope, and Love will help you make the changes you can and accept the things you can’t.
- Faith: Is about living with Trust that God is in Control, even in the confusion and chaos that sometimes surrounds us (Romans 8:28). It keeps us from losing Hope and becoming indifferent to the changes we want to make. (Hebrews 11:1 & 6)
- Hope: Is the expectation that God’s Love can transform anyone or anything through me and those He brings into my life. (Matthew 19:26)
- Love: Is Faith and Hope in action, and it looks like Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Loyalty, Gentleness, and Self-Control. It’s in these that God’s Love can be seen through me, and it’s only through God’s Love that lives and situations can be transformed from darkness to Light, for God is Light. (1st Corinthians 13)
What About the Things I Can’t Change?
Here’s some important Dad Wisdom: “We can control VERY little in this life.” However, we can influence people (beginning with ourselves), at least to some degree, IF we can keep our attitude from sabotaging our efforts.
Looking back at my own life, I see a trend within my change failures, where I became frustrated because I felt I couldn’t do something about it, and this frustration either led to giving up in apathy, or I became angry to the point of violence (rarely physical), usually in the forms of verbal abuse or manipulation that led to division instead of unity in moving toward change. Both both apathy and violence (especially violence) led to diminished influence and decreased impact in the world around me.
Instead of choosing indifference or violence, Do The Good You Can, and in doing so become the change that you want to see in others.
Hopes & Prayers
My Girls, I Hope and Pray that you will see through God’s Eyes and Love with God’s Heart so that your Faith-filled attitude allows you to be Jesus’ Hands, Feet, and Mouth to those around you, and in doing so fulfill all of God’s Law and words of the prophets who greatly desired to have the opportunities to Love that you have before you TODAY. (Matthew 22:36-40)
Life Application Question
How’s your attitude TODAY?
Dad's Wisdom 