Life - it's all about attitude!

Recently I developed a relationship fitness program for couples utilizing a holistic approach to strengthen your relationship.   My belief is that the world is a better place when our relationships remain strong and healthy.  This approach is a seven-spoke model based on the number of days in the week.  The spokes include: communication, intimacy, lifestyle, nutrition, education, spirituality and environment.  The idea is for couples to pick a spoke they want to strengthen daily and find ways that are pleasurable and fun to improve their relationship.

There are no rules only suggestions – you prescribe the program that is right for you.

Today I would like to focus on attitude as an aspect of spirituality.  I view spirituality as the force that makes us human and something you can feel.  You cannot see, touch or taste it, but yet you know it is there, much like a breeze or the wind.  Viktor Frankl taught us in his famous text, Man’s Search for Meaning, that attitude is the one thing that no one gives us, no one can take away from us and the one thing that always remains our choice…so choose it wisely!  Our attitude affects our entire life and a positive attitude directly impacts not only our mental health but physical health as well.  

People ask all the time how do I go about changing my attitude?  The answer is simple but not always easy to implement and maintain.  Successful people choose an attitude of never giving up and so they don’t!  Others have been successful by enlisting the support and encouragement of those around them…asking them to point out anytime when they notice a fallback to a former negative attitude.  For those who are willing to “make it hurt”, they decided to pay a “fee” whether it be $1, $5, $10 or $20 every time someone catches them slipping backwards.  Be forewarned that our friends and family members can change when there are hard dollars involved.  Instead of being supportive and encouraging, they can set clever [and some not so clever] traps to catch us doing what we know best.

Think about the attitude you have in your relationship with your partner, spouse, significant other…how would you describe it…what words would you use?  Does your attitude serve to strengthen or weaken your most important relationship?  Why did / are you choosing it?  What value would there be if you decided to change it to improve how well you get along / stay connected to her/him?  I choose to have a positive attitude, what’s your choice?