Controlling My Attitude

Attitude can make all the difference in our lives, and we control our attitude. It can make us miserable or happy, content or dissatisfied. To a great degree, it can make us strong or weak. - President Thomas S. Monson 

I am discovering just how much my attitude controls my actions.  It is astonishing how a negative attitude can completely suck all the energy out of life. And it is equally astonishing how a positive attitude can change weakness into strength.

I have shared before that I consider myself more of a realist; or that I just see life in a realistic type way. I see things as they are, without extra fluffy stuff, or extra gloom. What is the answer to the question: Is the glass half full, or half empty? I would say the glass is half full, and half empty... or that it is simply a glass with water in it. I would begin analyzing the glass of water, and I would write a blog post about it.

Despite my natural disposition to be realistic, I have been discovering the power of seeing the glass as half full. No matter how we initially see the glass of water, and no matter our gut reaction to its fullness, or emptiness, we can change the way we view what we see. I am coming to find just how much power there is in having a positive attitude. I am discovering the strength that dwells in seeing how things could be, and not just how they are.

During this last week, I went out and started some hill training. I have discovered that the marathon is a lot of downhill (down the Provo canyon), but there are also, apparently, many rolling hills along the course. This means I need to train to go up and down, and not just flat and level.

Running uphill is a whole other level of fun. It can be very mentally and physically challenging.

I have been watching videos of how to properly run uphill, and I try and remember the things I learn as I plod along up the hills around my area. One of the main things to remember is to keep my head up, and not down towards the ground. This is not an easy task while going uphill, I naturally want to look down. It is like gravity makes my head sag on my shoulders, pressing my eyes to my feet, rather than to the horizon where I need to focus. Head up. Eyes up. One of the videos said to pretend like there is a string pulling me up like a puppet to the sky, with everything lifting upwards.

Today I was out on a challenging incline. It was a hill I had never run before. When I was about halfway up the hill, my head did its thing and started to droop to the ground. I had to tell myself to lift my head. Lift, lift, lift! I was huffing and puffing, but the lifting did help to get me to the top without stopping.

"Lift" is our family theme for this year. I think I picked the right word.

There was another point in my run today -- I was at about mile 10, with 2 more to go -- and I started to lose my steam. My body was getting a bit fatigued, and I was dragging. I had to shake it off. I basically told myself to shake it off while shaking my arms around, and I said to myself, "Hey, you with the feet, pick them up and move!" While I was physically fatigued, I was able to start running faster. Once I connected my mind with my body, I was able to make it keep going. My mind was what was really tired. My body was actually still quite strong, but my head was telling it to wimp out.

When my mind starts to slip... it takes everything with it.

I just think it is so amazing what people can do with a positive can-do attitude. It may not be natural to look on the sunny-side of life -- it is not natural for me -- but it is possible to do it with a little practice. I would love to go and interview some really mentally strong folks, who do not let anything stop them. I would love to learn what they do to keep going with strength and courage.

One of the reasons I am choosing to train for this marathon is to practice positive thinking. Sure it is a great exercise for my body, but it is even greater exercise for my mind. I simply lose all power and strength if I lose my ability to believe that I can do it. The moment I let fear and doubt creep in, is the moment my body weakens and retreats from its strength.

Like the little train once said: "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!"

And up the hills I will go!

I sure hope the water cups at the marathon aid stations are more than half full!


P.S. Forgive all the running posts, but if you will be reading for the next 5 months or so, there will be a lot of them. I write to motivate myself to keep going. :)