WOW Word-Of-the-Week #81: Spirit
May 13, 2009 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #81: Spirit
Spirit – a mental disposition.
Would you say your mental disposition is positive or negative?
If you said, “It depends on how my day is going,” then you’re probably pretty well balanced and know that your disposition can change based on your circumstances.
Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, says, “Downs as well as ups spice life, but need to be in balance. We very often have little or no control over when we are swept by emotion, nor over what emotion it will be. But we can have some say in how long an emotion will last.”
In other words, you choose to have a positive or negative disposition. It helps if you have people around you that support your spirit!
“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Scheittzer
Whom do you know that can help you rekindle your spirit? Whose spirit have you helped to rekindle? This week focus on your inner spirit and how it affects your disposition.
Reader Responses
“ATTITUDE IS VOLUNTARY! I have always said your “Attitude Determines Your Altitude” so, when you have a bad attitude, you are flying low and you better watch out, you might just run into a mountaintop or the tree line. However, when you have a great attitude, you are flying high. Building our lives around our passions and attitudes is more than a Philosophy. It is about living an “inspired life” and inspiring those around us along our journey. I have found my inspiration in family, my wife, friendships, my career, nature -“my love of the great outdoors” and the creator. I have my collection of books, memories of family trips and lots of photos. I live without envy, for my life is complete. Our travels have brought us so many life experiences; it was said to me one day that “The world around us is a book and those who have not traveled have only read one page.” I want to read the entire book and not just one page or chapter! When I go to the library or bookstore, I often just stand there in awe, as I look around me, realizing that I am surrounded by all of this knowledge. Everything we would ever want to know has already been written. Then, there is the Internet, giving us every resource literally at our fingertips. However, there is nothing more enjoyable than reading my favorite book, sitting in my comfortable chair, sipping on a cup of hot tea. There is something to be said for simplicity and silence, as we sit there reading, while our minds are in another world. Once the mind has been stretched, it never regains its original shape. The mind functions like a parachute, it functions only when open. When you reflect on life, it is made up of more than moments and what is now. It is also about the many memories of the past and anticipation of the future. It’s not the destination of life in as much as it is about the journey. However, what happens is we sometimes get so focused on the final destination that we fail to enjoy our lives in the moment. I have found that my golf game is similar to life and that it is much more enjoyable to play golf when I play each shot at a time, savoring every hole (especially when I hit a great shot), drinking it in like water, as if I were in the desert.” –Don Vance
“Someone told me once that our attitudes or dispositions are 90 percent of the equation. If we exude that positive energy in our relationships with others, whatever the situation we are dealing with at the time, most people will want to be around us. Obviously, not every day is going to be a good one. Things are going to go haywire in everyday life; that is just life. How we react or overreact to situations where we don’t have control says a lot about our dispositions. I generally try to ACT rather than REACT. My wife, Kristen, is just the opposite, so we complement each other well. A good example of this was my younger brother’s funeral nearly four years ago. My family asked me to give the eulogy during the memorial service. The one comment from friends and family after the service, was that I made them all feel uplifted as they left the church. Kristen noted that I “looked so composed at the pulpit. I could never do that.” I always believe that we can all reach back into ourselves, when the situation calls for it. I think we all are surprised at what we really have inside. What was important to me was to be positive and stand tall for my family. I know there are people in life who do not believe in positive mental attitude, but mind over matter truly works wonders. Most people don’t make use of most of their minds. It controls so much of who we are physically, emotionally and mentally. Keeping that positive attitude up, keeping a smile on our faces and looking forward to good things. Every once in a while at work, I will kid some of my younger co-workers that I am approaching my “dotage.” I will be 48 in a couple of months, but feel much younger. I actually am looking forward to my 50th birthday in a couple of years. I do believe that positive attitude and looking forward with relish instead of dreading the future makes a difference in our long-term health and well being. My Godmother’s husband turned 90 last year. And while his eyesight is now failing him, he still plays golf with his friends and works out as often as he can during the week. When we talk, we talk about how important attitude is and what it can mean for our lives. He is my role model. Great word, Susan. Have a great week. Take care. “Warrior”–Joe Moran