Are You Described as Someone with an “Attitude?”

You are probably aware that your “attitude” impacts on your health, as well as your social interactions. However, did you know that your attitude toward life, your physical and emotional responses to internal and external stresses, and your particular style of processing these reactions have a profound effect on the quality of your life?

This attitude or personality trait did not just come upon you.   It developed as a combination of nature, what you inherited, and nurture, all that comprises your upbringing and life experiences.  It is reflected in how you view the world. Do you see your world through a prism of optimism or one riddled with negativity? Does this attitude make you feel that you have “no way out” or that the possibilities are endless?  Your physical and emotional health, your sense of well-being and even your longevity are influenced by this one seemingly simple, yet inherently complex, variable.  Its implications are long-term and far-reaching.

I often compare ones orientation to life itself to a screen with various configurations of openings. Some are small and let in just enough of what is needed to see things objectively. Others are characterized by enormous perforations or distortions that result in life imploding upon a person. Most of us are characterized by combinations of reactions and responses which facilitate or impede our seeing the world and others in a realistic and productive manner.

What is your predominant manner of viewing the world and others? How do you process life? Have you considered what changes you can identify and integrate into your life to enhance and improve its quality?

What price have you paid emotionally, interpersonally and professionally by postponing an examination of these questions? This may very well be the time to begin the process.