We are NOT helpless!

The longer I live and lead the more convinced I become that attitude is everything.  Especially at the beginning of a new year!  As human beings, we can often get off in the proverbial “weeds” thinking about the circumstances that surround us.  It is true, we are called on to “bloom where we are planted,” but how can we do that when times are tough?

In his book, Barking Up The Wrong Tree, author Eric Barker says, "Helplessness (is) the result of a pessimistic attitude.  When you believe things will not get better, it's irrational to keep trying." (p. 70)

We get to choose the lens through which we see the world around us.  All of the time we are scanning, looking for things that confirm or deny the perspectives we carry with us.  We can choose to look at the world through the lens of our biases, or we can shed those goggles and see it as it truly is.

That choice impacts our attitudes.  

We can choose to bloom with optimistic possibilities.  Or we can choose to be choked out by the weeds of our circumstances.  The former results in forward momentum.  The latter keeps us tethered to our past, resulting in a feeling of victimization and helplessness. 

The good news is that choice is OURS alone to make!

So, think for a moment:

• When you look at the world around you, what do you tend to scan for?

• When you consider the year in front of you, do you feel encouraged and optimistic or downtrodden and helpless?

• Are you blooming or choking?
  

I, for one, am choosing this year to bloom.  I am choosing to scan the world around me for possibility.  I am choosing an attitude that reflects the opportunities I have in front of me.  

I hope that you will join me!