Making the Choice

I’m currently reading the book, The 30 Day Mental Diet, and to say it has been enlightening is an understatement. It is teaching me to consider my daily walk in a whole different light.

I am realizing that life cannot be against me. Every day may not be good, but there is some good in every day.  In reading this book, I have made a personal commitment to challenge my previous way of thinking and consciously lead my inner dialogue in a positive new direction. I have decided to make the deliberate decision each morning to be happy. I am choosing to like my job. I am choosing to be the best I can be each and every day. I am choosing to be healthy. I am choosing to be authentic – to myself and others. I am realizing I can do anything, but I cannot do everything and I am adjusting the way I live accordingly.

I am a kindergarten teacher, and because we can talk honestly - I can tell you that many days my job is challenging; so challenging in fact, that there are times when I question my career choice. However, what I am starting to realize is my experience as a teacher is going to be whatever I make it. The way I approach each day, whether it is great or miserable is totally up to me. I have the power. I am 100 percent responsible.

As a result, instead of saying I have to go to work; I’ve started saying I get to go to work. It’s amazing what changing that one word in my inner dialogue has done; work is no longer a duty, it’s a blessing. This is not to say I’ve become Pollyanna’s twin sister, skipping to school each day, just happy to be there; however, my attitude shift does help me to enjoy more of the good I see surrounding me and not stress so much over the things I can’t change. And on the days when it’s a little harder to see the good happening around me, I remind myself that not everyone has a job they can go to everyday; I do, and that in and of itself, brings me back to center.

So this is my challenge to you - choose to make each day a good one. Choose to be thankful for your blessings. Choose to be authentic to yourself and live your life the way you’ve always envisioned.  

Choose to be happy.