So it’s Monday, and you have to work. Are you going to sleep walk through it, or kick it up a notch?
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Your alarm clock is screaming at you to get out of bed. The weekend’s over. It’s Monday … again. You raise your brows trying to open at least one your eye (either one will do) and manage to peek out the window. It’s pouring rain. The first words that spill out from your morning breath aren’t very nice. You throw off the covers, pretty pissed with Mother Nature and Uncle Sam, too, because you have to go to work. Thunder grumbles in the distance. “It figures,” you mumble as you head for the shower. Your day’s already lousy and it only just began.
Doom and gloom a.k.a., the Eeyore effect – life is a battle of unpleasant struggles.
“Good morning, Pooh Bear,” said Eeyore gloomily. “If it is a good morning,” he said. “Which I doubt,” said he.
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing, Pooh Bear, nothing. We can’t all, and some of us don’t. That’s all there is to it.”
“Can’t all what?” said Pooh, rubbing his nose.
“Gaiety. Song-and-dance. Here we go round the mulberry bush.”
Mrs. Mathews, my 7th grade math teacher (mean ol’ lady) oddly left me with a lasting impression of inspiring wisdom, but it wouldn’t sink in for years. “Opportunity is knocking!” she’d snarly say as she knocked on random desks. Her walk paralyzed me; up and down the aisles -horrified she would knock on mine and expect an answer. Punishment was by embarrassment; people who gave the wrong answer would stand at the chalkboard and figure out the equation for everyone to see. “Knock, knock.” An opportunity for what…to become a mathematician? Not me!
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An opportunity can either be a battle or a BAM, depending on the approach we take.
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I was more inspired with the culinary arts. Emeril Lagasse, the infamous T.V. chef, taught me a great deal about southern cooking and layers of flavors. He didn’t use scare tactics, but his technique looked like magic. He would take an average dish and “Kick it up a notch” by throwing a concoction of herbs and spices over the food. It changed everything. A simple toss and “BAM!” he enhanced a palate from ordinary to extra ordinary.
An opportunity can either be a battle or a BAM, depending on the approach we take. A rainy Monday can be a downer, but it doesn’t have to be. We can kick it up a notch and switch out our crappy attitude for a positive and flavorful one. Plenty of research has shown that our attitude shapes our behavior. It influences our outlook on life, our health and our happiness. It has an incredible effect on the people we work with and the people we love. We allow our attitude to either brighten or dampen our day.The best part is, we have the power to choose. We get to decide how we want to look at the world, and how the world look at us; we get to decide how we want to look at people, and how people look at us.
I have a co-worker and friend whose approach to life is much like Eeyore’s. When our friendship began I thought his comments were meant to be humorous, just to kick up a few laughs. Over the years, I could see that he truly bought into what he was saying, “I’m good for nothin’ — my life sucks — life’s not fair,” and it soon turned into foul self-depraving slams. Being around him began to drain my energy. I tried to build him up, but it never seemed to help. It also started to affect my own behavior. I questioned my abilities, even repeated some of his condescending remarks.
Enough! Give me the damn mulberry bush!
Every morning you have two invisible doors standing in front of you. Opportunity is knocking at both, each one with an approach to life. Which one do you open, which one do you embrace? Think. Both are entrances that lead you toward a lifestyle. What you choose to learn, you become. You hold the power to turn the handle on either door.
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Every morning make a conscious decision to let go of the naysayers’ voice and walk into a lifestyle that leads to success.
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Most people walk through the one with a battle attitude. They find the problem in something or with someone before recognizing the good. They are taught that life is tough so you just better get used to it. Negativity is all around, “I hate work — the economy is killing my sales — I can’t do this; we can’t afford a vacation.” Some people even believe that this time on earth is hell and happy people were simply made to be annoying.
I don’t want to be like most people. I want to follow the steps of other great leaders and walk through door number two. Every morning make a conscious decision to let go of the naysayers’ voice and walk into a lifestyle that leads to success. I want to kick it up a notch and make it go BAM!
Over the years I came to understand that opportunity is an intention. Through all of life’s downpours and even on sunny Mondays, there are decisions that only I can make. Maybe that’s what Mrs. Mathews really meant; I could pay closer attention to what’s in front of me and take the opportunity to learn, on purpose — even if it’s learning through my mistakes — or choose to be silent and struggle with the rest of the crowd.
I suppose I did learn. Certainly not algebra, but most assuredly that I always have a choice to believe that life can be a battle, or BAM! — I can kick it up a notch and throw in a little extra sweet and spicy flavor.