[Miss Criss]

I'd like to take a minute to point out something that I believe is very important but is almost always overlooked: your attitude. I know there are some who may find this post terribly lame but if you want to be successful in life, you'll do your best to pocket these words and cherish them.

What is attitude?

Attitude. Everybody has one, but what exactly is it? I define attitude as your perspective-- it's how one looks at things. Only you can control your attitude, yet if you don't control it, it will control your life.

Why is attitude important?

I've just stated how important your attitude is, but for some, stating it just isn't enough. Your attitude is important because it really takes a toll on your life. A positive attitude will not only gain you friends, but it will help you get out of sticky situations, it will help you become more successful in life, and it's a proven fact that people having positive attitudes live longer and healthier lives.

How do I get one?

A good attitude doesn't come in a prettily-wrapped giftbox. It also isn't something that you can master overnight. It takes a lot of mental disicpline but it is possible, I assure you. However, it also takes a lot of practice. Having a good attitude is easy enough under normal circumstances but when life gets tough, people tend to let their negative attitudes control them. I know it isn't easy to be positive in a bad situation, believe me, I know. You just need to reframe your perspective, that's all. How do you do that, you say? Well, as Mary Poppins-ish as it sounds, you must find find something positive in everything! As hard as it sounds, there will always be something positive in every situation, sometimes you just have to search a little harder than others. If you focus only on the positive things, you will eventually persuade your mind that the situation isn't near as bad as you thought it was. However, if you focus only on the negative things, you're really only making the situation worse.

Life is a journey.

I try to look at life as a journey. The cause of my journey is to reach my destination-- all my goals. I'm extremely determined to reach my destination which means I forbid anything to stop me. When I run into situations, I look at them merely as obsticles. Whether they prevent me from reaching my destination has to do with how I react to the obsticle. I can either jump over the obsticle and keep running (having a positive attitude), I can freak out over the obsticle (having a negative attitude), or I can just quit right there and plop my bum right in front of the obsticle, not doing anything at all (quitting). What decision I make all depends on how I choose to view the obsticles. Hint: Notice how I used the word 'choose'? That means only YOU can decide. Because there are so many obsticles that I come across in my journey, I choose to view obsticles as blessings in disguise. Why are they blessings? They are blessings because I seem them as opportunities to grow in character. Everytime I jump over an obsticle, I learn a valuable lesson and a little about myself.

All right, well, that's enough role-playing as Mary Poppins for me today. ^_^
Please take my words seriously and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me.

Peace.
Cristyen