Attitude and Life

"The biggest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude." - William James

I came across this quote a few days ago. This quote hit me pretty strongly; as in not like a great movie which completely sweeps you off your feet; rather more like a powerful gush of chilly wind which makes you wrap yourself closer to your own self.

The quote essentially says- Change your attitude, you way of thinking and your life will change.

The first thought that came to my mind was that this seems too simple and too wonderful to be true. And then the other quote struck me- All essential things in life are simple.

It made me think about a number of things. In our daily lives, we have to go through many incidents which are not suited to our preferences. The buses run late, the traffic on the road is much more than expected, the professor/boss is grumpier than usual, the bills are higher than expected, friends are busy or immersed in their own worries… in all such situations, a change of attitude definitely brings a positive difference and that too immediately. 

Smile. Laugh. Enjoy the happy moment.

Or may be you need to cry it out. So do that and feel better.

Either way, it is much better than feeling upset or confused or wrought up in feelings.

But then there are tough times. Heartbreaks, loss of jobs, failures, death of a loved one.

It is much more difficult to swap out of the misery in such times… the quote might begin to feel distant. But as time passes, it is much more about attitude than anything else in deciding how that event will affect our lives. People all over the world have faced failures and miserable times- some of them have chosen to come out of it stronger rather than meek and scared and that is why, they have been able to live a more fulfilling life.

I had a discussion on this quote with my grandmother. We talked about the many events in which the quote holds true, we also talked about events in which the quote feels like an ‘easier-said-than-done’ thing. She told me how after an unfortunate series of events in the family, she became the sole breadwinner of the family. Things changed overnight as a serious illness struck my grandfather. She saw the unfolding of those events as a choice to her- to be strong and learn all that was needed to fight back or to feel intimidated by the sudden downturns and surrender to destiny. She put her thoughts in gentle, wise words- “Even if applying the change in attitude seems difficult in extremely miserable situations, it is very much possible. What you need to do is practice. Practice living it.”

So give it a try for yourself. Think about what this quote means.

It doesn’t mean to rush out and try to alter your life, it’s too big a job. Start easy by practicing altering your attitude, either when you’re struggling with a situation or when you’re in a great mood and want to stay there. If someone as brilliant as William James said it, you and I can certainly be open to the possibility it is true.

P.S. Honestly speaking, I personally trust my grandmother more than William James. So, I totally believe that the quote is true J