Attaboy!

We all know what criticism and putdowns do to your life, your work and your relationships, but have you thought of how important praise is? How necessary this type of motivation is to your success and well being? How much you need a kind word from others? How much others need a kind word from you?

Yes, we do... extremely important. We do know the answer, but what do you do if you, indeed, get no praise? One obvious answer is to pick and choose to surround yourself with good people when possible. Unfortunately, life is not perfect and most often you have to play the cards dealt you.

Then, how do you stay cool in the midst of a barrage of bad, and a lack of good? How do you keep from getting depressed and becoming useless? One answer may be... actively choosing the right, positive, attitude. And this can be done with the right self-talk, and help from others and from God.

Doing the right thing... eating right, doing exercise, being interested in doing a good job at work, and in learning more about the world around you... is all important. You have to continually remind yourself to maintain the right attitude, and it sure would be good to get help to do all this.

Recently, for the first time in years, I woke early and went to the gym before work. This was needed to lose weight and get my wind back, since I was huffing and puffing too much (in mind and body). At the gym, that first day, I was sleepy and uncomfortable while doing my cardio workout, but everything went well.

After taking a shower and exiting the gym to get in my van, I beheld a beautiful sight in front of me. Right then and there, the sun started to come up from behind the mountain, and, due to thin clouds, beauuuutiful orange-yellow rays covered most of the eastern sky, like my grandmother's fan.

I had to stop in my tracks to take it all in... this gorgeous sight. Then, after a couple of seconds, a flock of birds crossed in front, undulating in random but beautiful patterns in contrast to the sun's fan.

This, I told myself, was God's way of saying "Attaboy! You're doing a good job!"

After that, getting up early was easier, my workouts too, and my problems at work and home have had reduced significance.

Help in maintaining a good attitude is all around you... you just have to recognize it!