Choose Your Attitude

Only dead people don't have stress. - Susan David.

I heard that line this morning as I get up and in my morning routine, listening to Ted Talk and learning a thing or two.  I think of those words. I reflect what's the deeper meaning behind it.

Only dead people don't have problems, isn't it? Only dead people don't have struggles and challenges in life. As long we still alive, we will always face dilemma, choices, difficult problematic situation. But it's up to us how we choose our attitude. It's up to us to use our resources, like our minds and emotions, to "respond" to the challenge in life. It's our internal response that determine our action, not the other way around.

I always want to think positive, and practice that every single moment. Not day, but in moment. In a day, there's 24 hours. 1440 minutes. 86,400 seconds. So every second, I think positive. I feel positive. When there's challenging situation, I took a step back and take a deep breath. Calm my feelings. And use my brain to logically think the alternatives scenarios and solutions to the problem. Of course this resolution could take days, weeks, and months. But eventually in the end of the problem, I've gained clarity. I am able to be wise and not rushing into hasty decisions.

It's not a matter of just thinking. Feeling too. Our emotions are part of our self. It's being a human being. We can't just dismiss our feelings and just think, think, think. No. Actually, part of the unique reason why we are a supreme beings (what differentiate us between human, animal, and plants), is our ability to think and feel at the same time. Our emotions are one of the best aspect of us. We use our creativity, feelings, and produce beautiful things such as arts and music.

So now, with the power of combining our logical thinking ability, and our strong emotional feelings, we should be able to choose our attitude wisely. The problem that happens to us are just 10%. 90% of it is how we choose to respond. We can choose the easy way out, or the natural response that we have been using for the last 3-4 decades we alive in this world. Or.... we can train ourselves to be one step better. We can be better. Think and feel better. Think and feel positive first. See the silver linings. Don't give up if you fail. Try and try again. It does requires practice.

One of my leader in Standard Chartered Bank, Mr. Darmadi, always emphazised the power of attitude. It's our attitude that differentiate us from the other peer.  If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, accept it. And move on. And change our attitude about it. Our perspective. We probably need to replace our lens.

Remember, once the negativity talks, try to drag you down, resist it. Don't succumb into temptation. Don't allow self-destruct thinking at all. Instead focus on what's right. Be grateful for your situation, no matter how good or bad it is. It is always easy to be thankful when you have everything you want. So the real challenge is, how to stay thankful when you have nothing going your way. It's an art. And like always, it's requires practice.

And when I talk about this topic, I can't exclude two special people in my life that reminds me in daily basis to choose my attitude. My leader in Bank of America, Angie Overall, and my co-pilot Edward Bernstein. Iron sharpens iron. We always challenge each other to have a bright positive attitude about anything that happen to our working day. And not only that, to our lives as well. To our health, both physically and mentally. I am thankful to be in their circle!

Choose your attitude. In daily basis. In every single moment. You will have a better life when you have a better attitude.