A book I recently read said that the attitude you have when you get out of bed every morning has the power to determine whether or not you succeed in life. I believe it. King David of Israel did also, for he said, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).
Lots of people in our world who went to bed last night did not live to see the sun rise today. So, if you got up this morning and your name was not in the obituary section of your local newspaper, you have a valid reason to rejoice and celebrate. God has given you a new day. Make the most of it.
With what kind of attitude did you begin today? Did you say, “Good morning, Lord,” or did you complain by saying, “Good Grief, another morning!” A positive attitude is contagious, but you should not wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier!
Those who, in spite of many problems, choose to begin each day with a positive attitude will touch and bless everyone around them. I am reminded of a wonderful lady in her 70’s who was a member of a church I served several years ago. She had been an invalid almost her entire life, yet she never complained. Her face constantly wore a smile because she had a song in her heart. She chose every morning to be happy, and she shared her happiness with every person who visited her.
A man who was a member of that same church lived on the opposite end of Attitude Street. He got up on the wrong side of the bed every morning. He would share his problems and pessimism with every person who would listen. The perpetual expression on his face made you wonder if he had just finished eating a large dill pickle. I learned never to ask him, “How are you today?” He would dump a two ton load of misery on you. He reminded me of one of the characters in the ‘Lil Abner comic strip a few decades ago that had a dark raincloud hanging over his head – and it followed him wherever he went.
God created each of us with tremendous potential. Whether we become in life a staggering success, or live a life of squalor and disappointment, depends to a significant degree on the attitude we choose to have every morning when we get out of bed. If you will choose to begin each day with a smile and a positive attitude, and if you will keep it up for a few weeks, it will become a beneficial habit.
You are the only person who can choose your attitude. The choice you make will determine the level of your joy, the quality of your peace, the strength of your marriage, the well-being of your children, the impact you have on others, whether or not you enjoy your work, the degree of your professional success, and even the eternal destiny of your soul.
The attitude you choose even has a lot to do with determining your daily stress factor. It has the power to turn hate into love, a frown into a smile, pessimism into optimism, rejection into accomplishment, fear into faith, and defeat into victory. I recommend that you follow the example of the steam kettle: Though it is up to its neck in hot water, it continues to sing.
Be aware, however, that even when you give your best it does not mean you are immune to an occasional difficulty or failure along the way. The only people who have never failed at anything are those who have never tried to accomplish anything. The best guarantee of success at anything is to choose to be successful. But if at first you don’t succeed, keep on trying. Success will come in due time.
When the great Polish pianist Paderewski first chose to study piano, his teacher told him his hands were too small to master the keyboard. Yet he did not allow discouragement to keep him from achieving his goal. He made the choice and paid the price to become a world-renowned pianist – and he succeeded.
When the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso first began to study voice, his teacher told him his voice sounded like the wind whistling through a window shutter. He refused to be defeated by such a negative evaluation of his talent, and he became one of the world’s greatest tenor singers.
Know this: the past is behind you; tomorrow has not yet arrived; all you are guaranteed is today. Each day is God’s gift to you. That is why it is called the present. Your attitude will determine what you make of today, of tomorrow, and of every tomorrow after that.
Aiming at a worthy goal pays huge dividends – especially if you know when to pull the trigger.
The Paper Pulpit 
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