It’s common knowledge that royalty, Hollywood stars, and Wall
Street tycoons aren’t always content and well-adjusted. If money and popularity
could guarantee happiness, we wouldn’t hear about so many problems among “successful”
people:
- Divorce
- Dysfunctional relationships
- Legal problems
- Family tragedies
- Financial challenges
On the other hand, I have met quite a few stable people who live
just above the poverty level. What is the difference? Their attitude. It’s that
simple.
Recently, a friend shared an article entitled, “25
Life-Altering Quotes on How Mindset Changes Everything” , from Movemequotes.com. I would like to share
excerpts from that article, as well as my own related research, today:
Quotes From the Article
“It all starts with the mind.
Regardless of your circumstances or your given set of challenges, your mind
holds within it the power to make any and all experiences painful, stressful,
and depressing or pleasurable, opportunistic, and enlightening. Your growth
potential from each given circumstance and challenge is only limited by your
imagination and mindset.”
************
“If you want to live in a happier
world, think of ways to make people smile more often.”
************
“While positive thinking doesn’t always
work, negative thinking, unfortunately, almost always does.”—Gary Mack
Oprah Winfrey
The current “Queen of all Media”, the richest African-American
of the 20th century, was born into poverty and hardship. She
was raised by a single mother in rural Mississippi and inner-city Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. What does she have to say about attitude?
“Live your life as the underdog and
make your rise to the top all the more inspiring.”—Oprah Winfrey (Quoted in the
article)
Hamlet
Shakespeare’s Danish prince’s clueless college friends,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, visit him at court. He tells them that he
feels greatly restricted in his lifestyle. (The reader knows that Hamlet is
dealing with family tragedy.) They wonder how a pampered prince can feel that
way, and they say the country doesn’t feel like a prison to them. This is
Hamlet’s reply:
“Why then, ‘tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad, but
thinking makes it so.”—Hamlet Act 2, Scene 2
Nelson Mandela
He is the deceased, groundbreaking South African statesman who
led his country out of the dark days of apartheid (government-sanctioned
racism). The “Father of the Nation” was the first black chief executive
officer, and the first person to be elected in a fully representative
democratic election. However, his road to success was rocky. He was arrested
multiple times, and spent 27 years in three different prisons. The
conditions were horrific. Despite it all, he kept a great attitude:
“I am fundamentally an optimist.
Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being
optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving
forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested,
but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lies defeat
and death.”—Nelson Mandela
My Conclusion
“Attitude is everything. Life is 10% what
happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”—Charles R. Swindell
“All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a
continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15 (NASB)
It doesn’t matter if we’re born into poverty or pampered
royalty; there are always obstacles to overcome. Only determination can get us
through the challenges that life throws at every one of us.
Please see more about people who refused to stay stuck in adverse
circumstances in my book, Accept No Trash Talk: Overcoming the Odds.
Related Posts
How have
you set your mind for success?
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