A Cheesy Sweater?

Years ago when asking my mother what she wanted for Christmas I was perplexed at her request. She said she wanted us three kids to memorize a quote on attitude by Charles Swindoll. It was a quote that I had read a number of times over the years by virtue of seeing it every time I went to the fridge.

In my infinite wisdom, I concluded that memorizing a quote was not a good gift, what she really would enjoy was a nice sweater from the Gap. I never spoke to my younger brother or sister about this and had frankly forgotten the original request.

Christmas morning rolled around and I of course watched her open a cheesy sweater that she would not be caught dead in now. She faked her satisfaction, gave me hug and we were on to the next gift. As we went around the circle it was time for my brother and sister to give their gifts to mom. In unison they recited the cherished quote,

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the past...we cannot change that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes."

With tears running down her face she thanked them for their effort. Looking back, it is now crystal clear that the emotion she was feeling was her ability to foresee the lasting impact on my siblings of memorizing those words. What a valuable lesson from a loving mother.

With so much going on around us that we cannot control, the empowering words of Charles Swindoll ring in my ears almost daily. We are in charge of our attitudes!