Happy New Year!

When you woke up, or maybe you stayed up, and welcomed in 2017, were you excited for a New Year? Were you thankful for the year that ended, or were you happy to say “good bye” to 2016, and ecstatic that you were facing the opportunity to make this year a better one?

Did you tackle that challenge with a “New Year’s Resolution?” Did you commit to join a gym, lose weight, eat healthy,(AKA “Clean”), or did you promise to break a nasty habit, or save more money or in other words spend less?  All of these “commitments” in and of themselves are fine. They just unfortunately all share one common denominator that makes the task difficult for ME, or in your case YOU!  By ourselves, we are doomed to fail, quit or at best fall short of our goals. But with the winning combination of ‘ME + GOD’,  or ‘YOU + GOD,’ all things are possible!

“For NOTHING is impossible with God.”  Luke 1:37

As we begin a NEW YEAR, with new possibilities, new opportunities and new challenges, let’s begin together by focusing on what we can control instead of what is out of our control.

We do not have control over our tummy that gurgles and begs for us to reach for the cinnamon roll instead of the oatmeal. But we DO have control over our attitude. We can set our minds on making small changes, one day at a time. If we do have days when the call of the cinnamon roll wins, we move on to the next meal, the next day and make healthier choices.

We do not have control over what may happen tomorrow as we head for the gym. We may  encounter thin, in shape hard working people in training that intimidate us and make us feel like running for the exit. However, we DO have control over our attitude. We can determine to stay put! We can do our best to complete that spin class or finish our turn on the elliptical machine.  We can set our mind on returning the next day and the next, until we have produced a routine of exercise that becomes second nature to us.

We do not have control over the urge that hits us when we are confronted with a temptation we have trouble resisting. We DO have control over our reaction to that urge. We can pray and ask God for the self control to walk away, not give into it and practice restraint each time we are confronted by it!

We do not have control over our desire for things we cannot afford. We DO have control to  make a decision to not exercise spending when our wants exceed our means.

I believe the way we will face this New Year of 2017 and wake up next New Year’s Day and say, “This Was a Great Year,” is to take control of what we CAN control, and that is our ATTITUDE!  LIFE is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it!

Truth Bomb

Nobody has a good, positive, consistent attitude without fighting for it!

Are you ready to fight with me for something worth fighting for, OUR ATTITUDES!

Let’s take a stab at ‘Six Helps’ to change a negative attitude into a positive one.

This First Week of adapting a positive attitude we take a jab at stopping, slowing down, and taking a “TIME OUT!”‘

JAB NUMBER ONE: TAKE A TIME OUT!

PUNCH LEFT- Reflect and Self -Evaluate: ask yourself the question,”How did I get here?” What am I doing and why? Commit to look within yourself and change what ever you think about that is not positive and God-honoring. Commit to adapt a Philippians 4:8 attitude…

“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”  Philippians 4:8

PUNCH RIGHT-Pray! Need I say more? This should always be our number one go to in fighting the good fight!

Fighting for something means there will be success and struggle as we ‘Fight to control our attitudes.’ But as the old saying goes, “anything worth having is worth fighting for!”

We have already taken the first few punches at JAB NUMBER ONE, we are on our way to VICTORY over changing and maintaining a positive attitude.  Punch away, we are in this together! Focus on JAB NUMBER ONE, and take a “TIME OUT” this week. Then meet me back here for JAB NUMBER TWO as we fight for our attitudes!

 

Speak Truth Love