I remember a cool art project I did with my kinders towards the end of my classroom teaching career. My amazing aide Julie, who was truly a teacher partner to me, would take a profile picture of each student pretending to blow on a dandelion. You know the kind: the yellow petals have given way to fluffy pappi that carry seeds on the wind to find a place to take root and start the life cycle again. We would mount the profile pictures on light blue construction paper and the kiddos would use yarn snips to create the blowing fluff. This project was tackled in spring as we learned about life cycles of plants again (a reinforcement of lessons learned with autumn's pumpkin life cycle) and did fun activities that demonstrated how our attitude can affect our day. A sign posted with the hallway display asked, "Weeds or Wishes? What do you see?"
I think about this often. In fact, I had this quote in one of my offices. When the yuck of the day hits, when the trials of life seem never- ending, how do I view the situation? Do I view it as something that is there to ruin me or to take me to new places? When the car cuts me off on the highway, do I yell and give a one finger salute, or do I take the opportunity to wish the driver well with whatever is going on in their life to make them drive dangerously? When I step on a lego do I bemoan the fact that my kid never cleans up, or am I grateful I have a kid so I can actually step on a lego? When a coworker doesn't follow through on a task, do I get upset and hold a grudge or do I help the coworker figure out a solution that benefits the team?
Please don't get me wrong- l'm not suggesting we ignore dangerous behaviors or negative patterns. I don't walk around giving everyone a free pass. As someone with the heart of a teacher, I'm looking for opportunities for growth...in myself and others. I just strive to see the good in all. I try to reframe situations to positive and figure out ways to evolve. It's a wisdom that's come to me in so many ways over the years. There was the golden rule: treat others as you would treat yourself. It was comments from adults in my life like, "Turn that frown upside down." and "Did someone get up on the wrong side of the bed? Should we go back and try the other side?" Then the platinum rule wandered into my life, which rings truer for me if I clearly understand what that person wants: treat others as they want to be treated. With the various reckonings happening in the world, I feel this one in my gut because it leans more towards empathy and gets away from reciprocity; the I'll be nice to you because you're nice to me way of thinking. In my life coaching classes it was flip your focus, pulling on ideas from the law of attraction.
What about you? How do you view the affect of attitude in your life? Do you believe that attitude is a big deal in how you view your life?
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Having a positive perspective is key to seeing the good in all situations, no matter how difficult they may be. It's easy to get caught up in the negative and focus on what's wrong instead of what's right, but having an optimistic outlook can help us stay focused on solutions rather than problems. Remember, what we focus on expands.
Let's meet and see how coaching can help you develop habits to flip your focus to the positive!
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