Attitudes

I've been thinking about people's attitudes. As such, you must now read my writing on my thinking about people's attitudes. It is the never ending circle of literary exposition, and I'm glad you're here.

If our lives were movies our characters would, obviously, be the headliners. We'd be the Clooneys, Downey Jrs, Streeps, and Therons. Yet, for some reason, if we were really honest, and chose by the way we actually viewed ourselves, we wouldn't cast those actors.

We'd cast someone like Michael Cera, or a softball catcher, or *shudder* Katherine Heigel.

We all too easily forgo reason and place heavy emphasis on every insecurity and imperfection we have. I've heard this sentiment elsewhere, but forgot where, so its mine now: When we look at other's Facebook's and Twitter's we see their highlight reel, but when we look at ourselves we see all the hidden things we hate about ourselves. And we unfairly put ourselves down in comparison.

It's true, you may be the only person who knows about your struggling body image, damaged relationships, or the weird mole on your chest that could pass as a third-nipple. And while everyone else appears to have it all together, we cast ourselves as the victims, the unworthy, and the unloved everyday.

Our natural tendency is to have a bad attitude towards life and others because we view ourselves as the downtrodden underdog. We think that everyone else is happy, successful and has less back hair, whereas we are self-centered, jealous, and lost. It's this feeling that everyone else has wronged ME and its THEIR fault I'm unhappy!

But don't forget, everyone has their own weird mole-nipple.

The thing about having a "good attitude" is that it's often contingent on other things going well. If its a beautiful day outside, you just got paid, got plenty of sleep and someone gave you an excellent compliment this morning its easy to be positive and peppy. And when you oversleep your alarm, are late to work, and thus, your morning meetings, are unappreciated for your hard work and forgot to pack your go-gurt! Then a "bad attitude" is expected, and, perhaps, might even be justified.

The problem is in the truth that if nothing particularly good happens today, our attitude will still hesitate on the edge of bad-ness.

Attitude is one of those things that you choose. You can't choose your personality, but you can choose behavior. And what is your attitude if not a way that you behave?

Avoid the temptation to cast yourself as the one everyone is against. Be a person who chooses to have a positive attitude outside of circumstance. Avoid the lie that you are the only person who matters. Be selfless.

Avoid Katherine Heigel. Be Robert Downey Jr.