Thankful Thursday

I want to dedicate this blog post to my dear and trusted friend, Judy Craig, and my Mom who love me enough to tell me the truth when I need it, even when it hurts and kicks my butt.  Love you both!!!

I like to think of myself as being a fairly optimistic person, a little south of Pollyanna most of the time.  Like the old Monty Python song says, “Always look on the bright side of life… do do… dah doot... de doot dah doot!” 

However…

Lately I have chosen to let loose the Negative Nelly in me – she’s a bit south of Darth Vader.  Nelly is the little voice that lives to point out the bad side/points of everything in my life – from people to places to every little nook and cranny.  You gotta give her props for creativity, because she can find the down side to anything.  Some of her favorite lines usually include the words, “it’s not enough… you could do better… look at what the other person has…  it's not fair...”, and similar words that are the termites to my thankfulness.  She’s the daughter of that snake in a garden long ago that hissed doubt in Eve’s ear… and thus Negative Nelly was conceived.  She is the voice that breathes life into discontent, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement and displeasure.  Yep… she is the part of me that is the “Diva of Diss”!!!

It’s easy to allow yourself to become influenced by the circumstances of life – complex things like the economy (and how it affects you personally), the behavior/outlook of others around you... right down to the weather (she writes as yet another dreary NJ snowstorm rages outside).  It’s kind of like being a non-smoker in a room full of smokers.  You may come out a non-smoker, but the smoke has permeated your hair and clothes, it’s internalized in your lungs, and you carry the stench with you - until you choose to change those clothes, toss them in the laundry, and take a shower.  Negativity (and what we do with it) is a lot like that, isn’t it? 

It takes someone who really cares about to you have the courage to verbally hit you upside the head and call you on your “never satisfied” and “pity party thrower” sad self, and to encourage you to stop playing that same old tune and change the station! How grateful I am to have some treasured people like that in my life.

One of my favorite quotes about attitude come from Chuck Swindoll (see frame).  

So today I choose to change.  Today I will wipe the “diss” off my lenses, own my ‘tude, get down on my knees to ask God (and my longsuffering loved ones) to forgive me for being such a self-focused crabapple, and get on with the business of being grateful and thankful for the incredible life I have… right this second.  I’d rather wear a bit more rosy lenses, tinged with realism, but nonetheless more likely to see that for which I can and should be appreciative.  My blessings overflow, and it’s time my ‘tude, words, countenance and life reflected just that.

It’s like the old hymn said, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your blessings, see what God has done.”

Won’t you join me today?  Together let’s duct tape shut that Negative Nelly voice within, exercise our grateful muscles and work them out till we drop with thanksgiving!

Blessings,

Coach Linda

Toss the 'Tude Tuesday

Raise your hands, girls, anyone sportin’ a ‘tude today (as Patsy Clairmont coined in her book – be sure to search her videos on You Tube – she’s amazing)?????  My little ‘tude monster has been trying desperately to take control in the last several weeks.  Personally, I think she may be in cahoots with my hormones because I’ve had more emotional ups and downs than a merry-go-round horse on steroids!  And I have yet to explain the phenomenon of how all the little “annoy-me” gremlins know exactly when to come out from under their rocks to scratch their nails on the blackboard of my spirit to make me C-R-A-Z-Y!!! 

I don’t like me with a ‘tude.  I’ve written about it here before (click HERE and HERE), and I hate to admit it but it’s still a fresh topic.  I get a wicked mean case of the uglies when I’m in a ‘tude mood.  I get snarky, snippy and sarcastic.  Instead of a smiling and calm countenance gently graced by a quiet and gentle spirit (which is what I’m going for most days), my lip curls up, my eyes roll and my nose sniffs up like I’ve just gone past a mountain of manure.  In fact, that’s a fairly good descriptor of what my ‘tude is like – it STINKS!

I want to be one of those women that bless people when I’m with them – the kind that, when they leave, your world is just a little brighter and you feel warmer and happier.  I want to leave that kind of legacy… where people say, “Gee she always had a good/kind word for everyone, a happy attitude”… sort of the personification of a comforting hug.  Kinda like a combo of Mother Teresa meets Erma Bombeck meets your favorite grandmother/aunt – that kind of good.  Lately I’ve been more of a sour version of Joan Rivers meets Bridezilla meets Church Lady with a fierce case of PMS and a side order of perimenopause!  Like I said, girls, uuuhhh-gaaaa-lee ugly.

Sunday night I sat myself down and quietly took an inventory of things – of how I’d been acting vs. how I want to act.  How my walk didn’t equal my talk.  I remembered that it was my choice, always and always my own choice, on how I responded to any given situation going on in my life.  I could react and wind up with a major mood 'tude, or I could choose my mood ‘tude.  I’m tired of nursing my ‘tude – it weighs heavily, gives me frown wrinkles and works my last nerve!  I’m not trying to be Penny Perfect here, mind you… it’s not that I can’t get mad/sad/angry, etc.  But it’s what I do with those emotions that matters in the long run.  Do I let them control me, or do I choose to control how I handle things? 

I love Chuck Swindoll’s quote on attitude:

"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 failures, than successes, 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 our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.  And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes."

So I’m flickin’ those nasty little gremlins off my soul shoulders, kicking my mood ‘tude in her moody booty, and deciding to add altitude to my attitude and let my spirit soar high and free above the things that have been getting me down.  I’m taking a deep breath, praying for a strong and serene spirit coupled with a loving demeanor and heart, and singin’ along with Patty LaBelle’s great song “NEW ATTITUDE”!  I feel more beautiful from the inside out already.

Are you with me?  Exercise your mood elevator today, ladies, and give yourself a ‘tude lift!  There you go – looking GOOD!

Blessings,

Coach Linda

'Tude Thursday

So what kind of a ‘tude are you sportin’ today? Because today you get to exercise it. Yep – today is your day to exercise your ‘tude!

Patsy Clairmont, author and speaker, wrote a book in the 90’s called “Sportin’ a ‘Tude” – it was touching and also hysterical! When you have an attitude that isn’t exactly gracious and loving and kind (not that this EVER happens to any of US), it’s known as “Sportin’ a ‘Tude!” I love that phrase.

One of my favorite artists, Mary Engelbreit, has a great picture of a little girl, arms crossed, with a serious pout on her face, and at the bottom it says “MUST.CHANGE.ATTITUDE.” In fact, this very picture was on my Mary Engelbreit desk calendar yesterday, so I cut it out and keep it within eye range at my desk.

Those nasty ‘tudes are often felt coming on, like the flu. Some of the symptoms are: your neck stiffens, one eyebrow flies up almost off your forehead, your index finger tends to point, your head rocks side-to-side on your shoulders as your throat tightens as you exclaim, “I don’t THINK so!” Then there’s the sneaky quiet ‘tude, where your arms fold across your chest, a little “hmfftt!” sneaks out through your nostril passages, and you become very, very quiet and avoid all conversation. You know what I’m talking about here, girls! ‘Tudes come in many shapes and sizes, but the biggest and brightest is the positive ‘tude. The one you choose to have – the one that makes your spirit lighter, replaces all those worry lines with a beautiful smile, and provides a sense of peace even in the middle of chaos.

Check out this quote:

“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, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, 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 everyday 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 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.” – Charles R. Swindoll

So choose your ‘tude, darlin’, because it’s all up to you!

Blessings,