Hot stoves and attitude

When do you think it happened to us?

When we were children who dreamed of bigger things in life?  Or was it when we were in college and someone told us it can't be done? 

When do you think it was that we gave up on the attitude that we can accomplish anything in life?  You see, our attitudes are a direct result of how far we can fly in life.  Some of us swallow the idea that that's just the way it is, while others ask what else can be done.

Now I am not talking about living a life blind to what is around us, but what do we want to surround ourselves with?  Saying positive things and doing positive things are a small portion to what really reflects our attitude in life. 

It may be a cliché to say this, but we learn more from our challenges than our triumphs.  The reason being is that the challenges in life are a direct test of our attitude.  How easy it is to have a great attitude when it seems like everything is going to plan?  The part that really gives you the flight needed to reach the highest level of altitude in life is your attitude in times of struggle. 

I am sure we can go back and look at the struggles in our lives and say that's the way it was, or I can't live in the past.  True-- you cannot live in the past, but you sure can learn a lot from it.  It’s no different than a baby getting burned on a stove understanding that if they do that again they will get hurt. Now does that baby grow up and never cook or go near a stove again?  Of course not!  So why is it that the same idea may happen in another area of our life?  For example:  if you go to your boss to ask for a raise and the boss says no, will you get burned?  No!  Why is that the last time you ever ask for that raise again? Those two different examples mean the same exact thing in life.  While the idea may seem farfetched -- the learning is identical.

The same principle needs to be applied to our attitude today.  By getting burned by that stove, did we learn a lesson?  Yes!  Was it a challenge?  Yes!  Did we over come it?   Of course!

Now take this learning lesson and apply it to any challenge you may be facing today and understand you may get burned and it may even hurt.  But you control your attitude, just like you controlled your attitude over getting burned by that stove as a child.  How?  By going back to that stove again and again until your attitude reflects your altitude.  Now is the time, today is the day to soar. Remember be positive, be real and live your life In The Zone.

Dave Muraco is a certified life coach, motivator and radio talk show host who lives in Oneida. In 2004 he founded "In the Zone", a business dedicated to helping people reach their goals. His column runs every Wednesday in the Utica Daily News.  To contact David, email him at davemuraco@in-the-zone.biz or visit his website at http://In-the-zone.biz