Mr. Mills, you’ll have to "be very still" while in the machine so we can get a good look at your shoulder. Please don’t move for 15 minutes… said the MRI technician as I was entering the MRI machine.
Forward Friday is a pause to check on what’s happening on the inside of our life. The emotions, the thoughts, the real us and if we need a gut check, that’s okay because every now and then, we might just need a course correction! And as always, there’s good news medicine at the end!
Let’s Get Into This!
So for a few years now, I’ve been dealing with shoulder and knee issues. Injuries mostly from hockey and I do pray for my healing to come.
Sometimes, it’s not being able to exert power strides to my left because the knee seems weak, and the shoulders are separation issues from the past few years that haven’t healed back like I would want.
Nothing stops me from doing but it is annoying to have the nagging injuries.
I went to see my orthopedic surgeon and she requested the MRI’s so she could see exactly where the problem areas are so she could best recommend treatment. (No surgery)
So, I ramble over to the hospital at midnight no less so I could get both done at the same time.
It was pretty scarce, walking in at midnight and hardly anyone was around.
I forgot how loud those machines are by the way, but the key comment that the technician kept saying was to be as still as possible so the doctor will be able to see clearly what the problem areas are so she can help find the best solutions for me.
So, both were done, and I’ll be seeing my doctor soon to get to work on getting better and regain full mobility. Because I'm not stopping anytime soon!!!
It was interesting that the technician’s comment, “Please be very still” has a lot to do with how, sometimes, we don’t take the time to make sure we’re doing alright from the inside out.
It’s amazing how the wrong type of attitudes, feelings, frustrations etc. can build and then the “Tipping Point” comes and invariably, we all have those moments, we can’t seem to figure out why things happened like they did.
Why Attitude Matters?
When we don’t get a handle on our attitude in a positive manner, it’s amazing how,
*Problems more often than not seems to be someone else’s issue
*Change is frustrating, and we’re not excited about accepting those changes
*No open mind here; more like a door closing or closed.
*Patience is not a virtue, and we inwardly sometimes have a low tolerance level for people
*We sometimes think that we are the only ones being unfairly treated
*Grudges and holding on to things. I’ll leave it there
*Focusing on the positive is hard or appears to be difficult.
*Courage to look at things differently, being optimistic seems like a big hill go climb….
But… Time For Some Good News Medicine
Did you know that we can never be able to change our life until we change our attitude?
Have you heard it be said, “Well, that’s just the way I am!”
The truth is…. Our attitudes is what and how we choose them to be. While it is true that we cannot always pick our circumstances, it is equally true that we get to play in the attitude park of how we view them.
Dad would always say that attitude is half the battle.
Our attitude matters. A great attitude is not just health for our life, but it does get us a long way on the positive track of life.
Who wants to hang out or spend precious time with a complainer, fighter, an all the time frustrated type of person who finds fault in everything, never sees much good if any in anything to name a few?
That type of person has a very jaded view of life and doesn’t make for a great coffee moment buddy among the many negative examples of connections going south and sour.
An attitude when not in check weakens us and weakness of character is not far behind.
Maybe that’s why Paul, in Philippians 4:11 wrote, Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
The Bible talks about attitude and the resulting after effects often.
Get Our Focus Right
It may seem difficult but our minds need to turn to uplifting thoughts, so our perspective changes. It sounds simple but so true. Staying in the mud so to speak gets us nowhere.
God Is With/For Us!
When trouble comes, many think God is against them, is having fun causing them the trouble, problems they are walking in but nothing could be further than the truth!
Even in the middle of challenges, if we can remember that God is for us, it makes all the difference!
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ”Romans 8:28
Peace Rule
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”– Colossians 3:15
In a messed up world, we need a peaceful heart to be the ground for great change. Allowing the peace of Christ to have the place needed helps encourage gratitude in us. Even when life is difficult, peace can really help us gain perspective and give us hope.
A Cheerful Heart
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”– Proverbs 17:22
This Proverb speaks directly to the impact our attitude has.
A cheerful heart can help enrich our spirit, and it is equally true that a negative attitude drains and saps our energy.
Remember The Blessings
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”– Psalm 118:24
Dad would say, "I cried about the fact that I had no shoes until I met the man with no feet!"
I think our human condition is almost set to see negative but if we could see how no matter what, each day is a gift and there is always something that we can be thankful for and boy, can it affect our attitudes.
Embrace the good and see if it doesn't to start shift the way we look at life!
Did you know that Paul, when he was writing to the Philippian church, was in prison, under the threat of execution but still could say that he had learned to be content, no matter the circumstance? Pretty powerful.
His response to the circumstance was a choice and we have choice pretty much all the time.
Yes, sometimes, it’s not easy to have a good attitude but as I’ve learned, it’s far better to aspire to have a good attitude rather than a bad one.
As well, what we ingest/digest/absorb plays a big role in our attitude.
Who are we listening to, who are we surrounding ourselves with, who has our ear and attention makes a big difference in how our attitude plays on the stage of life.
Who we spend time with plays a big role in part regarding attitude…
Dad would always say, “If you walk with the lame, you’ll learn to limp!” Simply, choose wisely who has our ear.
Jesus talked about the heart and He said in Matthew 15:18-20 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”
But the words we speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles/soils/messes us.
Proverbs 23:7 says, ...as [a man/woman] thinks in his/her heart, so is he/her....
So, The Solution?
We may be out of practice, or this is just a confirmation to keep living, loving and honoring those around us including ourselves but that same writer the Apostle Paul also wrote in
Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
The Things I Think
I’ve been thinking about writing this post for 2 weeks and coming off of spring break, wouldn’t you know it that in a 24-hour period, 3 attitude tests.
In a 24-hour period, 3 attitude tests.
God has a sense of humor to help us see the blind spots we may have that we may have not thought were there or present in our life…
While I think I passed in 2 of them, I had to make a call to apologize for not reacting well to the third.
Probably one of the hardest things for us human beings to do is to admit when we’ve missed the mark on something.
But it’s quite freeing to admit our mistake, learn and grow so we can pass the next attitude test when ever the next test shows up.
Philippians 2:5 Says that we should have the same mind as Jesus or an other translation means attitude.
Jesus was….
Humble
Obedient to His Father’s wishes and plans
Took on the role of servant; even gave up his right as God’s Son to die a criminal’s death…
But….
Coming back to life, He has been exalted to the highest honor and that there is no name above His!
It makes me think of my dad and many times he would say that sometimes to move forward or to elevate, one must submerge for a time…
Sometimes to move forward or to elevate, one must submerge for a time…
A chance to mature, weed out the bad and in this case attitudes so we can grow and become all that we were intended to become.
Or
He’d also say, “People may swear at you but if you can hold to your convictions long enough, and in this case grow and cultivate the right attitude, people will swear by you!”
So, while it may seem like a tall order, our world is looking for people who are becoming healthy from the inside out.
That’s my plan over the next 14 days; how about you?
Join me!! It’s worth it!
Dave
#ForwardFriday #WhatIsOnTheInside #MRICheckUp #RightAttitude #WiseChoices #Speaker #Blog #Easter2024 #MomentumMoments2024 #GoodNewsMedicine #AttitudeMatters
Comments