Change It, or Change your Attitude

“If you don’t like something, change it.  If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”  -Maya Angelou

In life there are some things you can change but there are a whole lot of things you can’t.  And determining the difference between the two is a key factor in controlling your own happiness in life.  Sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking we are a victim of circumstance, that there is nothing we can do.  That is very, very rarely the truth.  More often than not we actually can change things, it’s just that when there is an ability to change it to Option A or Option B which are both valid, but we desperately want to change it to Option C which doesn’t exist – rather than picking A or B we tell everyone else and ourselves that we just can’t change it at all and therefore woe is us.  We refuse to acknowledge and accept that Option C doesn’t exist and isn’t going to exist. We stop ourselves from moving forward at all.  We are now voluntarily stuck and miserable.  And until we recognize that we will continue to stay miserable.  The reality is that we have to be smart enough to let go of Option C recognizing it was never really an option to begin with.  We then have to choose from Option A or B and accept that one of these options will ultimately lead us to what we want, even if we can’t see that yet.  We have to have a little faith for the future and start moving that way.

“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”   -Steve Mariboli

Nothing in life is worse than standing still.  That always leads to moving backwards.  Force yourself to keep moving forward. When there are circumstances that are making you unhappy stand back and evaluate what the realistic options are that exist for you. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck pining for options that cannot happen.  Then make a choice and keep moving ahead.  But move ahead with an attitude of hope and enthusiasm for the future.

You can’t always control your circumstances, but you can always control your choices and your attitude.  Never let yourself forget that happiness is a choice – so choose it!

~Amy

2 Comments

  • David Meine says:

    Well said and right on. Thanks for the insights.

  • DW Starr says:

    Packed with great tips if you are struggling with Change, here’s a great article for you.This not only applies to individuals, but entire divisions and even entire companies should take heed of this message. As I am so well known for saying either at the beginning of my presentations and or toward the end, “Change is the essence of life/business. Be willing to surrender who/what you are for who/what you will become.” Change is no longer something you decide you will or will not do, it is no longer an option. It is a MUST. Whether we use the analogy of the cocoon and the butterfly or the infant and the adult, most of us know that nothing grows without change. Standing still, status quo, in this rapidly moving world of ours today, is actually going backward as others pass us by. And yes change can be frightening at times, so I remind people and businesses to look at their past for examples of CHANGE CHOICES you were successful with and remember that if you did it then, you can certainly do it now, even better with that past experience as your guide. Remember that the COURAGE TO CHANGE, is not the absence of FEAR OF CHANGE, but STARING FEAR IN THE FACE, and doing it anyway. You can either be CHANGE CHALLENGED or a CHANGE CHAMPION… you can either face early retirement (or as a business get trounced by a newcomer) or strive toward growth.Keep on Changin’, DW Starr

Leave a Reply to DW Starr Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.