A participant from the audience shouted out that most people would not be happy coming to work over the weekend. You have a great attitude, Yvette!
Driving to work that day, I wasn’t stressed about working over the weekend.
I choose a different perspective.
My mind was set on an opportunity to teach a workshop on a new topic I hadn’t spoken about before.
I was a little nervous but more excited about this new experience.
This was my first Happiness Project presentation.
And many years ago, as I struggled with serious health issues, I decided from the get-go that I would get through this, find the silver lining, and come out better from the experience. It was not easy, but I got through it. One of the biggest lessons I learned from this was don’t sweat the small stuff, and this was not small stuff.
American philosopher and psychologist William James said: “The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.”
Sometimes I look around at people in life; some focus on everything negative they possibly can. They complain, are hard on others, seem to lack compassion, and appear miserable in most circumstances. I stop to think about what happened in their lives to make them this way, and do they even realize how they come across to others? I often don’t think they see that, and my heart goes out to their pain.
Two people can go through the same life event and react differently.
For example, you go out to dinner, and the service is slow,
one person may become agitated and rude, putting a damper on the night, while another may choose to understand that the world is understaffed.
The latter chooses to see people doing their best and spends the evening engaging in great conversations and laughter.
Business analyst Jean Maurice M. Prosper says, “Perspective is the angle or direction in which one looks at something.”
We react based on past experiences, present circumstances, our education, and the energy we spend fostering a positive and realistic or negative mindset.
Either way, you spend your energy somewhere; why not let it be on the brighter side?
When you spend energy cultivating a realistic mindset, you develop emotional intelligence. This is the ability to understand and manage your emotions; it is a choice and something everyone can develop.
May you always yield to the side of positivity, as your attitude always reflects the perspective you choose.
My best to your health and happiness,
Yvette
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