virgin islands scene

This is the final test of a gentleman: his respect for those who can be of no possible value to him.
-- William Lyon Phelps
 

 

Wednesday, August 29, 2001

In control

Would you hand your car keys to a total stranger, and allow that person to drive off with your car? No, of course not. Would you give control of your bank account and credit cards to someone you didn’t really even know that well? Absolutely not!

Yet you may be letting other people, even people you don’t know, take control of something even more valuable than your automobile or your bank account -- your attitude.

Think about it. Who really controls your attitude? Ultimately, you control it. Yet when you let your attitude get pushed around by what others say and do, you’re giving up that control, and the consequences are usually not very positive.

Always keep in mind that, no matter what happens, you have the power to decide what to think about it. You can decide whether to be distracted or to stay focused. You can decide whether to be insulted or to be amused. You can decide whether to get drawn into a no-win situation or to continue working toward the goals you’ve set for yourself.

The way you think about the world around you makes an enormous difference in the quality of your life. So stay in control of your attitude, and make that life the best it can be.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©2001 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.