The alarm goes off at 6:30 on the dot every single morning, and every single morning immediately following I hear "good morning!" with an impressive amount of enthusiasm considering the hour. This comes from my companion, Sister Green. She is such an example of having a positive attitude and a general enthusiasm for life. When she first became my companion, I'd mutter "morning" back while stumbling out of bed. Now, however, I've taken this as a new challenge and I try to say "good morning!" before she can. Sometimes I win, sometimes she does. But now if you were to over hear us in the morning you would hear two very enthusiastic greetings coming from a dark room, and probably worry about our sanity.We hear the phrase "attitude is everything" all the time, and I hate to repeat what has already been said, but the realization that attitude truly is everything has really caused me to reflect. What if everyone in the world attempted to be bright and cheery the second they opened their eyes in the morning? Can you imagine how different your day would go? Think of the difference between the rude cashier and the happy one. Think of the difference between the friend who is negative all the time and the friend who is positive. Can you see what an effect small things can have? William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher, wrote, “The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." I echo William James in saying that our outer aspects truly can change as we change our attitude.
Waking up with a bright "good morning!" contest seems small but the simple fact that we attempt to wake-up with an excitement for the new day has really affected me. Days that I have woken up with a bright attitude seem to just go better. I may still face challenges and hard work, but if I approach those with a smile, somehow, they don't have as much of a power over me. Let's all try to wake up with a "good morning!" tomorrow and attempt to change the outcome of an entire day.
