Wednesday, April 13, 2011

CRAZY! My ALLERGY is NOT contagious, but my ATTITUDE IS!


Every morning, I make a Facebook post that is usually a motivational quote or an inspirational thought.  It is a reminder to me of what I am to be about that day, and hopefully be a source of encouragement to another, with a little ‘pick me up thought’!



I giggled as I chose and typed my “inspirational thought”, as it was so relevant in SO many CRAZY ways in my life right now!  “ACHOO!” Excuse me!  Yes, my allergies are STILL giving me fits, and in fact I now have a sinus infection.  When I don’t feel well, I have to admit that I react with JOY, RAPTURE and JUBILATION- NOT!  I could actually star on Sesame Street as “Oscar the Grouch”!  I grumble, and gripe with each step as I have a pain that shoots up my back teeth from the sinus pressure.  I snarl and snipe as I all but cough a lung up, and I moan and mutter with every sneeze that boggles my brain.  The last thing on my mind is to be the HAPPY GO LUCKY person that I usually tend to be.

But, as I thought about my allergies, and even my sinus infection, I realized that they are NOT contagious.  I am the one who suffers, and I am the one who is experiencing the pain, so why should I allow my ‘”Oscar the GROUCH”, ‘woe is me’ attitude to infect those around me.  My family shouldn’t bear the brunt of  my grumpity grumps, nor should I allow my students or friends to experience my negative ninnies.


So, I giggled as I typed a quote I had heard years ago: “Attitudes ARE CONTAGIOUS!  Is YOURS worth CATCHING?”   I thought long and hard, and I have to confess that I had been a little bit of a SNUFFLEUPAGUS, and I realized that I could choose to be positive in spite of how I felt!  I chose to post the quote as a reminder to myself, and a great thought for anyone reading, that the attitude we share with others does tend to spread like a contagious disease if it is indeed negative!




If I am gossiping, pretty soon the people I am talking with start to gossip too.  If I am negative and short with my children, YOWSA, their negativity comes back ten fold.  If I decide to take my bad day out on my husband, you betcha he is going to dish it back.  There is a saying that rings true, and that is “IF MOMMA AIN’T HAPPY, AIN’T NO ONE HAPPY”!

Although I felt miserable and sounded like I had one foot in the grave, I chose to greet every person I met with a smile and a kind greeting.  I chose to laugh and sing with my students, even though I was ‘croaking’ more than singing, and I loved on my family, even though I was tired, grouchy and feeling less than my best.  I can tell you, I had a CRAZY, GREAT day in spite of being so sick- BECAUSE I chose to put into practice the quote I had shared earlier that morning.  I knew that my positive attitude would rub off on others as I met and interacted with them, although, I have to admit they did move further and further away each time I coughed!  I know it was only because they THOUGHT my sinus infection was contagious!





So, my message is simple... our attitudes are indeed contagious.  Got a BAD ATTITUDE?  Check it at the door, and choose to infect those around you instead, with a positive outlook, creative thoughts, joyful laughter, and CRAZY OPTIMISM!  You will be surprised at how others respond to you, and the difference you can make in their lifes!  GOT A LITTLE ATTITUDE?  Make sure it is a GREAT ONE!   






Living, Coughing, Loving, Sneezing, Laughing, and Falling asleeeeeeeeeeeeeep…. OOPS!  I AM awake!  Share your CRAZY, FUN, POSITIVE CONTAGIOUS ATTITUDE, and reap the rewards,



Patti