What I’m doing here is not heroic. I’m simply exercising every single day for a year.
It’s not easy, but let’s keep things in perspective, I’m not summiting Mount Everest, I’m not solving world hunger, and I’m not battling cancer.
Whatever your personal circumstance, and wherever your journey takes you, of one thing I am certain, attitude is everything.
But while this adage holds true for many, for others the words may ring cliché, especially if they are thrown out there without the benefit of context. Yesterday I was smacked in the face with a healthy dose of context in the form of a YouTube video.
This beautiful bad-ass hosted an impromptu dance party for the surgical staff on the way into her double mastectomy.
And she reminded me that attitude is everything.
Through the course of this journey I’ve come a long way in the attitude department, and I’m proud of that. But I still struggle with bouts of negativity. I still give in to fear. I still allow my ego to guide my decisions. And I know this prevents me from living my best life.
This video has inspired me to be less laissez-faire in the area of attitude.
I haven’t been afraid to work hard at the physical stuff. I do that every day. But now it’s time for me to work a little harder on the psychological stuff.
The good news is that this type of work offers a pretty big pay day.
It’s kind of like ‘paying it forward’ to yourself. How cool is that?
Having a positive attitude can make a difference in many (all?) aspects of your life. Here are a few to ponder:
- Medical: While not without controversy, there have been numerous studies that suggest a possible correlation between a patient’s attitude and their medical outcomes.
- Career: Evidence shows that people with optimistic dispositions get jobs more easily and get promoted more.
- Relationships: Who wants to be in a friendship or a marriage with someone who sucks the life out of the room? The good news is, attitude is something we can change.
I am so grateful to the anonymous warrior in the video. She lit a fire under my complacent ass through her fearless and most inspirational actions. Attitude is everything.
Get moving… get happy, inspire others.
xoxo nancy
You are absolutely right! Positive attitude really does help! It is one of the hardest things to achieve! I think that doubts and negative thoughts will always happen, the important thing it to choose to look for a positive to offset it of possible.
Thinking “I can” rather than “I can’t” as a first port of call is important but so hard to do!
(Try being British when being self deprecating and cynical is practically a national pastime!) xx
Oh Sam, you make me smile!
:-D
We all slip sometimes in the attitude department, progress is when that happens less and less :) I got a good reminder to get moving today….been sitting too much at the laptop this week. Thanks!
You are so right. Progress is something to be celebrated. Baby steps, as I keep telling myself. Baby steps.
What a wonderful video and a great message for all of us. Thanks again for posting such honest and heartfelt words through your year of sweat!
Thanks Lisa, when I saw it I knew I had to share it. How could this not make everyone’s day? If she can bring that attitude to that moment, there’s hope for us all!
Absolutely!
I had to ask myself why this brought tears to my eyes. Maybe its because I don’t think I possess that woman’s attitude, and that makes me sad. The video itself makes me smile, and it is a lesson for us all, but yes, probably me in particular! Here’s another one I just read yesterday. I can’t help but post the link here for you. I really do think you will find it relevant.
http://theothersideofcomplexity.com/lessons-from-zombies-pop-music/
Jean, I cried when I watched it the first time too. I couldn’t name the source of my tears either. It wasn’t sadness. Maybe, like you, it’s disappointment that I don’t have a default position of that attitude.
Thanks for sharing the link. I’m going to go check it out right now.
Fantastic video. I loved it. Though I’m far too inhibited to ever do anything like that (and am amicably jealous of those people who can), I agree that maintaining a positive attitude is key to avoid curling up into a ball and rolling away into crudsville. That’s no place to be. :)
Easier said than done though…
Yep. Like so many other things. Sigh.
Man it’s soooo true! Striving to be positive is def the way to go – I’m finding the daily exercise and dieting I’m doing too is really helping me with that – you know, a feeling good and looking good = positive mood – kinda thing. Sure there’s no way we can all be “Sister Mary Sunshine” all the time but neither can we allow ourselves to be “Debbie Downer” either – because really, do you like being around people who are negative all the darn time? I can’t even stand myself when I’m in one of my “dark moods”. — Oh and totally hear you about EGO getting in the way of making the right choices to live the life that will truly make you happy. That stupid thing really gets in the way sometimes…
Ego-driven decision making (and situation-reacting) is the hardest thing to change for me. Still way too much, “but what will people think??” tapes playing in my head.
It’s a process. Baby steps.
Ack! I know – when I was trying to determine if I had the “courage” to do the right thing for my family and give up my social status and prestige and blah-blah-blah in the workplace and trade it in to be a SAHD — what it came down to REALLY was can my ego take the hit? What will my former colleagues think? My family? My wife’s co-workers? It’s tough.
Kudos to you for having the courage to make the right choice.
Oh and I can’t stand being around those perma- Sister Mary Sunshine types. Too saccharine sweet for my liking. I’ll take a Samantha over a Charlotte any day of the week. Bonus points for knowing who they are.
It’s true! Excessive “happiness” is nearly as obnoxious as perma-frowners. Okay, it’s possibly even more annoying :)
Totally.
I am a work in progress (piece of work was how it was phrased to me, oh well).
Kindred spirits, we are.
Reblogged this on The Positive Thinking Institute and commented:
Great positive thinking!
Thanks for the reblog!
Oh girl, that video just made me cry. What an amazing reminder of the importance of attitude and perspective. I bet those surgeons and nurses kicked ASS that day. Gosh, thank you so much for this, I’m glad I read this post.
I know, right? Awesome video.
Hi Nancy….I so agree with this post. I’m a big one for positive psychology and while some of it’s about positive thinking–a big part of the study is about attitude and what we can do to focus it and be more optimistic no matter what. The video is such a great example of a way we can approach even the roughest of circumstances. I’m fortunate that I stay pretty cheery most of the time but I do still have those blah or down days. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it) I’ve learned a number of practices and techniques that can refocus my attention so it seldom lasts long. I happen to think we call can…but we have to want to do it…and we have to believe it’s possible in the first place. I commend you for recognizing that while you’ve certainly mastered the physical aspects of your exercise challenge…there is another entire level to look at it…and yeah, attitude is everything! ~Kathy
I’m hoping the combination of starting meditation practices, combined with cognizant gratitude and an effort to slow things down and quiet my mind will help with this. I’m definitely willing to put in the work.
wow! I am with you…she is a bad ass! And has some sweet moves too :) I agree…attitude is everything and that video reminds me that if she can have a positive attitude facing a double mastectomy, than I can too about everything in my life. thanks for this awesome post!
She certainly sets an awesome example for us all.
I am happy that my time alone adjusted my attitude. You are right. It is everything.
How wonderful that the adjustment came with just a few short days away. Awesome!