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Our attitude determines our outlook

By David Chancey
Contributing Writer

A widow had two sons on whom she relied for financial support. One son sold umbrellas. The first thing the mother did every morning was to look out to see if the sun was shining or if it looked like it was going to rain. If it was cloudy, her spirits were good because there was a chance that it might rain and her son could make some sales. But if the sun was shining, she was miserable all day because no umbrellas would be sold.

The widow’s other son sold fans. Every morning that it looked like rain, she would get depressed because without the sun’s heat, no one was likely to buy fans. No matter what the weather, the widow chose despair.

One day she shared her misery with a friend, who pointed out that she was looking at this situation in the wrong way. The friend explained, “Perk up. You’ve got it made. If the sun is shining, people will buy fans; if it rains, they’ll buy umbrellas. All you have to do is change your attitude. You can’t lose.”

When we have the right attitude, we can’t lose. Our attitude determines our approach to life. I heard about two buckets. One was an optimist; the other was a pessimist.

“There has never been a life as disappointing as mine,” said the empty bucket as it approached the well. “I never come away from the well full that I don’t return again empty.”

“There has never been such a happy life as mine,” said the full bucket as it left the well. “I never come to the well empty but what I go away again full.”

Our attitude is the primary force that will determine whether we are happy or sad. We have to decide how we’re going to look at life.

I like the story of the 92-year-old lady who was very contented with her life. Another lady wrote these words about her: “She is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair brushed, and her makeup perfectly applied, in spite of the fact that she is legally blind. Today she has moved to a nursing home. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making this move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready.

“As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, an employee provided a detailed description of her tiny room, including the eyelet curtains that had been hung on her window.

“I love it,” she stated with enthusiasm.

“Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room ... just wait.”

Then the new resident said, “That does not have anything to do with it. Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not does not depend on how the furniture is arranged. It is how I arrange my mind. I have already decided to love it. It is a decision I make every morning when I wake up.

“I have a choice. I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or I can get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do work. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I will focus on the new day and all of the happy memories I have stored away, just for this time in my life.”

What a great attitude! It’s not how our lives are arranged that makes the difference, but how our minds are arranged. Our attitude determines our outlook.

So, how’s your attitude?

(Dr. David L. Chancey is pastor of McDonough Road Baptist Church in Fayetteville. The church family meets at 352 McDonough Road, just past the department of motor vehicles office. Visitors are welcome to join them this Sunday for Bible study at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 10:55 a.m.)