Goals For Life

When was the last time you gave your attitude a check-up?

The most important ingredients to success and happiness, starts inside of us…our outer world is simply a reflection of our inner world. So maybe it’s time to take a look inside and see what is there. And as you are looking inside, how are you talking to yourself? Are you critical of what you find? Disappointed maybe? Do you speak well of yourself or do you harshly condemn? What is your real attitude when no one else is around? Do you speak positively or do you criticise or blame or judge other people as well? Have you ever known someone in a relationship who is constantly trying to change the other partner? Have you been involved in conversations where someone is trying to get you to agree with them with every new point they raise? How do you feel when you are around someone like that?

There will always be people in our lives that we get along with better than others, but one of the techniques that I use on a regular basis when I come up against someone who I feel annoyed by, is to take a look at what I am saying to myself about them. Then I immediately look inside myself and ask…OK, now when have I done that or when have I behaved like they are? I inevitably come up with answers that give me a new foundation to make decisions based on changing my own attitude (not anyone else’s).

Let me give you an example, just recently I felt annoyed by someone who was challenging my authority…I went inside myself and asked, OK, when have I behaved like this? Most of the times, the answers hit me like a thunderbolt, and this time was no exception. You see, I have been seriously challenging the owner of an establishment to make policy changes. I had been challenging his authority. Woila…there’s my answer. Now I know what to change! Sometimes we don’t realise our power of creating the same situations in order for us to address our own behaviour. But it soon becomes evident if we ask ourselves the right questions and take a look inside, towards our own attitudes.

On the other side of the coin, have you ever known anyone who was so self assured that they just kept working on their attitudes no matter what they were confronted with and simply became happier and more successful? That’s the side of the coin I intend to flip more often.

“Other people are mirrors, in which we see ourselves.”

So what are you seeing in other people? I hope you like it, because whether you like the notion or not, you are really looking right at yourself. Below you will find a story to illustrate this. The original author is unknown, but the message is powerful none-the-less.

Life Is An Echo

A son and his father were walking in the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”

To his surprise, hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”

Curious, he yells: “Who are you?”

He receives the answer: “Who are you?”

Angered at the response, he screams: “Coward!”

He receives the answer: “Coward!”

He looks to his father and asks: “What’s going on?”

The father smiles and says: “My son, pay attention.” And then he screams to the mountain: “I admire you!”

The voice answers: “I admire you!”

Again the man screams: “You are a champion!”

The voice answers: “You are a champion!”

The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: “People call this echo, but really this is life. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.

This relationship applies to everything, in all aspect of life; life will give you back everything you have given to it.”

I have noticed that people who speak well of others tend to be happy most of the time. Then I’ve also noticed that people who tend to blame and grumble and complain, seem to be unhappy no matter what is happening in their lives. I guess these people will never really be happy, because their life is an echo. And if life really is an echo, what does yours sound like today?

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. It has been inspired by recent events in my own life. But, I am really curious to find out what you think of this concept. Is it new to you or are you just being reminded of something you already know?

Copyright ©2007 Elizabeth Richardson. All rights reserved worldwide.