I’m a “former” teacher. I was always looking for patterns of good behavior. I rewarded that good behavior, did the same as a mother when my sons were young. The ol’ saying you can catch alot more flies with honey than vinegar was alive and well growing up in my house.
Don’t get me wrong, bad behavior was dealt with, I didn’t just ignore it, but I really really searched out the positive to draw attention to.
A book I completed this summer really had me focusing on attitudes, and how pervasive they are in our lives – both yours, and those around you. One of the sub-topics in the book was:
“Attitudes are patterns of thinking formed over a long period of time.”
Could it be that those same attitudes are learned by mimicking those people we are around the most?
If you exhibit good behavior, and surround yourself with those who also show good behavior, does it then become a pattern of life? Wouldn’t that be nice?
As I read in this book:
“Our attitudes are patterns of thinking – formed over a long period of time. Wrong attitudes are hard to change because they are habitual, harmful ways of thinking about life and circumstances. Patterns of thinking are so deeply ingrained in our hearts that we hardly even notice them. We get so used to reacting a certain way that our choices become automatic, and in time we cease to see them as actual choices. We feel like we are trapped, but we are not. Tragically, the consequences are also automatic, and that is the cycle that we are trying to break.”
Thing is, we may have a bad attitude, we may be surrounded by alot of bad attitude, but we can change it. The author offered this: “You can’t change an attitude until you admit you chose it. But if you’re willing to say, “I choose my attitude,” then a different choice becomes your option. By admitting you made the choice, you put yourself in a position to make a different choice next time.”
There has been SOOOOO very much negativity in our country over the past year. If these people were my students, I’d be bald by now from pulling my hair out looking for the positive behaviors to reward. At least I know I can own my behavior, and change it if need be.
Can you share a good attitude today . . . and make it a pattern?
suddenlysinglewomen 
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