The Right Attitude Toward The Wrong Attitude: Inspect, Reject, Select

August 21st, 2012

When it comes to stress management, there is one key strategy to becoming more resilient, happy and healthy in the face of stress and that is having the right attitude. No one likes to talk about “right” or “wrong” anymore (that, by the way, seems wrong to me!), but when it comes to managing stress, being “right” makes a difference.

The great Jim Rohn said it best, “You cannot escape the accumulated effect of the selection of your attitude.” Don’t miss the subtle inference: you can — and most often do – select your attitudes. Not always, of course, some attitudes are passed on from family and circumstance at a time when there is little to no conscious choice in their selection.

That, by the way, is why it’s so important to pay attention to the attitudes you hold. How do you do that? Simple.

Attitudes are like seeds planted in the dark earth, that — over time — give rise to trees that bear fruit. If you truly like the fruit that your life, your occupation and your relationships have given you, congratulations on a job well done – the selection and cultivation of a good attitude. If, however, the fruit of one of your attitudes is spoiled and wanting, then inspect that attitude, reject that attitude and select a better one in its place.

With garden gloves and trowel in hand, you can dig up some bad trees and plant some good ones in their place. Then water them a bit, give them light, enough time to blossom and voila, you too can enjoy the fruits of a well chosen attitude.

The World is a Mirror

January 21st, 2010

A man is sitting on a bench and says to a friend who drops by, “Hey, see that guy over there? He’s the laziest person I’ve ever seen. He’s done nothing but sit on that bench for the last three hours.”

 ”How do you know that?” asks his friend.

“I’ve been sitting here watching him the whole time!”

It’s so easy to see someone else’s faults and shortcomings – but not our own, isn’t it?

In the world of healing and personal growth, self-reflection and self-awareness is an essential skill.

The great Rabbi — the Baal Shem Tov, used to teach in the 18th century, that “the world is a mirror.”

If you see something that is distasteful to you, you must look inside yourself to see what part of you the world is reflecting back.

Though this route is sometimes painful, it is the most direct way to personal freedom and happiness.

In body and soul,

 Neil F. Neimark, M.D.