Attitude Adjustment

  Today I want to talk to you about a concept called, emotional stability.  This is the idea that in order to grow and develop into the people we are meant to be, we cannot allow ourselves to be blown and tossed about by every emotional storm we encounter.  Say this with me, "My circumstances do not determine my attitude."  A big part of becoming mature as a person is learning to be emotionally stable, to not be ruled by our emotions, whether that be sadness, fear, anger, passion, or excitement.  People look to leaders to be a source of consistency and to offer a solid response when things become rocky.  If you desire to be someone who people will follow after, in your job, your church, your home, or any other area of your life, you must practice becoming emotionally stable.  This isn't necessarily an easy process, and it's not something that happens over night.  But it can be done. 
  If you're someone who is easily thrown off course by each little stressor in life, then start right now by making a decision to practice consistency.  Part of learning to keep your emotions under control is learning to look at the big picture.  When something starts to upset your day and your attitude, ask yourself, "will this matter in five years?"  If the answer is, "No," then don't let it ruffle your feathers.  Handle the challenge and move on.  It's not worth your time and mental energy.  You will very quickly find that when you begin to get your emotions under control, you free up your mind to work on so many other dreams and goals, rather than just bouncing from one frustration to the next.
  Another great way to build emotional stability is to develop a positive mindset by reading and listening to uplifting books and messages.  The more good things you put into your mind, the more good things will flow out when you are in a challenging situation.  It also helps to surround yourself with positive people who will help you keep your situations in perspective instead of feeding you more negativity.
  Begin today to stabilize your emotions and your life by guarding what you put in and how you look at each circumstance you encounter.  (For more on perspective, see Take a Look Around.)  You'll be amazed at how much easier your life becomes when you live with more emotional stability.  Keep working on you!  I'm rooting for you!

~K.W.