The Impact of Attitude

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” Charles R. Swindoll


In the past few weeks, I have felt exactly the same way as Swindoll according to this quote.  My life has not been perfect, but I have remained pretty positive about the twists and turns it has taken me on.  Recently, I have started to feel a little discouraged with the hit that school districts have taken from the economy and the reality that I may not have a job this Fall.  However, its not a life or death situation if I do not end up getting a teaching job this fall.  I can always work at Blue Valley as a Lifeguard the rest of my life. :)


I also realized that I should be applying to more school districts.  I have applied to 6 districts, all within my comfort level of teaching.  One is urban, the rest are suburban.  I have not looked into Christian schools much besides the one interview I did.  However, at lunch today, Gogo Connie helped me to realize that even though Christian Schools don't pay teachers that well, it is still an option.  I should be open to all options that will allow me to continue my passion: teaching. 


Another passion I've had since high school is Math.  I tutored at MNU, and now am able to be the Math Specialist at my school.  Last week I made the decision to go ahead and get my Middle School Math Endorsement.  That is if I pass the test.  The test is on April 30, then I have to wait a month for results, then submit my application for the endorsement to the State.  If districts have middle school math openings now, they most likely will be filled by the time I get the endorsement.  However, I'm going to remain positive in this situation and listen to Swindoll.  It's not about successes or failures, its about the attitude you have and how you react.  Let this be a lesson to us all-- Even if life isn't going your way, GRIN AND BEAR IT-- it will be worth it in the long run.