December 16, 2024

When we wake up each morning, we have two choices: to be in a good or bad mood.

When something unfortunate happens, we can be victims or evaluate and learn from the situation.

When someone approaches us with complaints, we can accept their negativity or highlight the positive aspects of life.

 Life is all about choices. When we strip away unnecessary details, every situation ultimately comes down to a choice.

• We choose our reactions. 

• We choose how others will affect our mood. 

• We choose whether to add fuel to a heated situation or to diffuse it. 

• We let negativity impact our lives or allow it to bounce away. 

• We choose to let people or situations steal or protect our joy.

 We must maintain the proper attitudes toward everything we do, as our attitudes significantly influence our experiences. If our hearts are filled with bad attitudes and our minds with negativity, we will struggle to progress.

We need to cultivate pure and tender hearts. We should listen to our conscience; when we realize we have a negative attitude about something or someone, we must make the necessary adjustments. This aligns with Proverbs 4:23, which instructs us to “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

We often neglect to guard our hearts as carefully as we should, allowing too many negative feelings and thoughts to enter. Remembering the phrase, "garbage in, garbage out," reminds us that we cannot take in negativity and expect to produce good outcomes. We must be attentive to our actions, thoughts, imaginations, motives, intentions, and attitudes. By doing so, we will experience the abundance of life rather than destruction.

 Intentionally Own It: Our attitudes and how we present ourselves are within our control. Ultimately, we decide who we will be and how we respond to life.