You know, some people are naturally positive and chipper. But if you are a parent, you know that other people are born with a "glass half empty" mentality right out of the chute. It's frustrating to deal with negative attitudes, especially in children. One of mine was particularly sure that the world was out to get him and that all the cards were stacked against him. Every day. All the time.
I really got sick of constantly pointing out the positive and insisting on contentedness as a character trait. We had to make a happy disposition a matter of obedience just to keep the spirit of glumness from overtaking our household at times.
But just like Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up," cultivating a positive outlook will have its rewards. I believe that seeing the glass half full is something that can be nurtured and trained, and we have certainly reaped a harvest of good attitudes in all our kids. I'm really proud of the way they are able to handle adversity and difficulties; even my "glass half empty" child has overcome his natural tendencies and sees life a whole lot differently than he used to. He is an extremely positive person! Wow.
Learning to have a positive attitude is a gift we can give our children...and is a gift we can give ourselves. Oftentimes, we grumble and complain about things that we cannot change, or things that grumbling and complaining about will not ever change. The words that leave our mouths do nothing to positively affect our situation, and only serve to bring down the whole house.
Today's Small Thing is to speak positive words. Alright, that's not exactly a SMALL thing, but practice clapping a hand over your mouth (literally or figuratively) when something negative threatens to pop out. Can you put a positive spin on things? Make a game out of taking a complaint and making it constructive. Try pulling your kids into the action and help them be aware of their own words.
Reap a harvest of joy when you speak positively. Can you make it a whole day without complaining? Maybe not, but you'll see results immediately when you try. Think of it like learning a new skill: it takes time, but eventually you will master it.
How about you? Do you deal with grumpy children? How do you handle negative words? Are you aware of your own negative words? How can you change your conversation habits?
Song of the Day: Jesus, Speak to Me, Audio Adrenaline
