Attitude, it’s been said, makes a big difference in life’s outcomes. No matter how difficult or easy the situations and people with whom we are dealing, our attitude will be a determining factor in what happens and how we react.
One of my favorite Native American folk tales is the one in which a boy goes to his grandfather for advice. His grandfather listens carefully, then responds, “I won’t tell you what you should do as you need to figure that out for yourself, but I will make this observation. No matter what you choose to do, it will be your attitude that will determine what happens: whether you remain angry and bitter, or whether you find something in what’s happened for which you can be grateful. Most things in life are a bit like having two wolves fighting for your heart and mind. One is filled with anger and hatred; the other is full of love, forgiveness, and acceptance.” The boy thinks for several minutes, then asks, “But, grandfather, how can I know which wolf will win?” To which his grandfather says quietly, “It all depends on which wolf you decide to feed.”
In the end, we become what we think, which wolf we choose to feed. If we choose to think positive thoughts, we’ll get positive results. If we think negative thoughts we will get negative results. Even when life throws difficult challenges at us, when a loved one dies or we experience some disappointment or trauma, it will still be the attitude which we bring to the situation that determines the ultimate outcome. It’s a hard truth, but a truth nevertheless; we reap what we sow. We can’t harvest Golden ‘Delicious apples and sweet juicy peaches if we plant turnips or crabapples. We inevitably reap the harvest of the thoughts we sow.
Your opinion pieces always inspire reflection. Thank you for that.