You Don't Need a Scale to Find Balance

[Guest guest]

Someone sent me this article. It has some very interesting points...

Have a GREAT DAY!

elaine

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You Don't Need a Scale to Find Balance

An interview with Tom Bay, Ph.D., co-author of " Change Your Attitude "

Are you stressed, working too much or feeling " burned out " ?

Do things never seem to go your way? Maybe it's time to follow

the advice of motivational speaker Tom Bay, co-author (with

Macpherson) of " Change Your Attitude, " and take a reality check.

Tom recently offered his insight on how we can create balance and happiness

in our lives.

** What can be learned from assessing our attitudes?

Similar characteristics can be found among people who have negative

attitudes. and I use the acronym WRONG for people with this

mindset. People with a " wrong " attitude tend to worry constantly. They

worry about things over which they have no control over -- things that

might happen, that could have happened or that may never happen.

They also have a tendency to rush to conclusions. They make snap

judgments without taking time to gather all the information. That, in

turn, leads them to overreact. People who overreact generally have

short fuses. They tend to take the most benign situations and blow

them out of proportion.

People with the wrong attitude will not accept responsibility.

They always insist some other person or some situation has

caused them to feel the way they do. Lastly, these people have

a tendency to give up. They're not motivated to do anything.

They want to throw in the towel and say this is it, woe is me,

life stinks and then I'm going to die.

All of this is a creation of their own minds and you can't get

through to them. Not all people with the " wrong " attitude have

all those characteristics all the time, but they do have the

majority of the characteristics most of the time.

Conversely, people with the " right " attitude have a consistently

positive outlook about life, about their jobs, about what they're doing.

They are constantly looking for results and taking responsibility.

People who have the RIGHT attitude take responsibility for their lives.

They have the ability to improve themselves or be involved in what

they're doing. They have a high sense of integrity. They are gracious

and have a tendency to recognize the greatness in things. And they

are goal-oriented -- that's the critical one. People who have the right

attitude have goals. There's a reason for that. When endorphins --

the " feel good " brain chemicals -- are released, you get a " high " ;

a little rush, and that happens whenever you reach a goal. People

with the right attitude set goals constantly. They may start with little

goals, like saying to themselves, " I'm going to walk one block this week. "

The day they get up and walk that one block they get a little rush --

" I did it! " Little goals lead to more little goals and that's how you

end up with great accomplishments.

People with the right attitude also understand the importance of

humor, honesty and health. Laughter also releases endorphins.

A good hearty laugh can create a positive feeling for as long as

45 minutes. People with the right attitude, overall, are very aware

of their health - mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. They're

aware that it all ties together.

They also trust themselves and the decisions they make.

Before you can trust anyone else you have to trust yourself.

They are tenacious about going after what they want out of life,

and recognize the importance of time. We all have the same

amount of time -- 1440 minutes in each day. What's important

is what you do with it.

** How can we ignite our imaginations, innovation and integrity?

It's so simple, yet so difficult to comprehend. We're all born with

imaginations. We have the ability to innovate but we build walls

around ourselves. And integrity comes from within. In fact,

all three -- imagination, innovation, integrity -- come from within.

In order for you to recognize them you must use your " abilities " :

responsibility, accountability and adaptability.

You cannot adapt to a situation that goes wrong if you don't put the

three abilities together. Those people who tend to get over difficult

situations more quickly are those who take responsibility for their own

lives and their own actions. They're accountable for their decisions

and in turn, have the ability to adapt to the situation. You can't

control any given situation, but you can control your ability to adapt to

it.

** How can we enjoy humor and keep healthy habits?

It all comes back to responsibility. People who have a good time and

enjoy life have taken the responsibility to have a good time and enjoy

life. I've heard people say, " You only go around once, and so you

might as well go for the gold and enjoy it! " That's a great attitude!

If you want to soar with the eagles don't hang out with ducks.

That's an old adage, but it's true. Enthusiasm is contagious --

and that works both ways. You can't catch it if you're not around it;

you can't give it if you don't have it. If you want to be enthusiastic,

if you want to have a good sense of humor, if you want to enjoy life,

hang around people who have that attitude.

** What's the most important tip you have to share?

Use your abilities. There's no question that you already have abilities,

and it's your choice whether or not you tap into them. In the movie

" The Wizard of Oz " there's a great scene in which Dorothy and her

friends heard the Wizard say, " Pay no attention to that man behind

the curtain! " They were quite upset that the Wizard was just a regular man.

But then the Wizard told them something very wise: They didn't

need his help to attain what they wanted. They came to him for a brain,

a heart and courage, but he pointed out that they had those things

before they came to Oz. They each already had the answers they

wanted but because they didn't realize it, they expected the answers

to come from outside.

I feel very strongly about our collective need to look inside and find

our strengths. We already have all the abilities we need. For the best

in life, all you need to do is look within.

" Change Your Attitude " by Tom Bay, Ph.D. and Macpherson is

available at http://www.amazon.com.