"A" Attitude is everything (or at least a good 82% of everything)

As a member of the LDS church, the scriptures play a key role in my life and I study them “oft”. 

Squirrel moment: I like that word, “oft”.  It rhymes with “loft”.  And as we all know “loft” is just a letter shy of “lofty” which suits anyone going around saying things like “oft” instead of “often”.

And so I’ve been studying the Book of Mormon this week, looking for “lofty” ideas and impressions on how to cope with the challenges we’ve been experiencing in our family.  To summarize, Nephi went through some pretty rough times but he kept focusing on his Faith and on staying positive.  He talks a lot about his blessings, even as he’s experiencing what one might consider to be a dearth of worldly comforts.  In comparison, his elder brothers’ approach is to focus on what they don’t have and to spend the majority of the time either complaining or trying to kill Nephi, probably because whiners really hate to be around that one guy who’s happy all the time. 

As I’ve studied I’ve been impressed with the attitude displayed in Nephi’s version of events in the wilderness compared with his brothers’ version.  It’s pretty clear that Nephi was a glass-half-full kind of guy, whereas his two eldest brothers were not only glass-half-empty but were in fact glass-not-only-empty-but-also-spilled-where-it-was-dropped-and-shattered-on-the-floor-by-your-sweet-little-nine-year-old-with-pieces-everywhere-and-no-hope-of-ever-sweeping-up-every-last-little-shard-which-means-I’ll-find-them-when-I-come-into-the-kitchen-barefoot-tonight-to-get-a-drink...

Not that I’ve been finding myself relating more with the elder brothers when it comes to dealing with family life, especially ADD family life.  Of COURSE I can completely relate with Nephi’s positive attitude in all things!    Just ask anyone and they’ll tell you what a bright little Pollyanna I am.

Anyone: “Meh”

Okay, fine, I confess I could show some improvement in the positive thinking department.

That brings me back to the reason I’m blogging about this tonight.  As I’ve studied the scriptures and discussed these thoughts with others, I’ve found some fabulous quotes and ideas that I wanted to share.  I share this not only with the hope that someone out there might benefit, but also so that these concepts might stick with me better by sharing them.  Here is what I’ve learned, in no particular order:

         - “I will make weak things become strong unto them.” – Book of Mormon, Ether 12:27

To me this means that everything we struggle thorough as a family, including those issues that crop up with ADD, is given to us for the benefit of ourselves and our family.  Great, so how can I help this process happen for us?

         -  “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” – Henry Ford

So it’s being impressed on me how attitude is the first step in the right direction towards positive change.  I’ve always known this was true, but lately it’s as if it’s being etched into my heart.  Why is that?  It’s not enough just to know something is true if we’re not able to live it.  So what is making this impression permanent for me?

         - “Great believers have the attitude that they can learn.” – Henry J. Eyring

This association between belief and attitude was brought home to me not only by this quote, but also by observing the difference that I mentioned earlier between Nephi and his elder brothers.  Another way to say this would be to quote the apostle James: “Faith without works is dead”, which to me is just another way of illustrating the difference between people who casually believe, as though they were in standby mode, versus people who actively believe what they profess to believe.  That difference can be seen in the life they are living and in the attitude that they show as they wade through hard times. 

I want that in MY life as well.  I am ready and willing to learn how to be better, so why stunt that process with pride?  Why bother professing to believe in something and then go about not living a life reflecting that belief?  Hypocrisy does not a disciple of Christ make.  It’s also a blasted nuisance when your own children call you out onto the carpet for being a sourpuss when things don’t go as planned.

Child: “Mom, I need some attention here!”

Me: “Go away!  I’m writing in my blog about how I need to be a better parent!”

My last thought comes from Elder Clark, who spoke at the last General Conference for the LDS church in October.  He stated that we NEED greater spiritual power – that what we currently have is NOT enough to see us through the times we are living in.  I feel this is true in my life.  I know I need more than I’ve got right now.

So with that in mind, I’ve decided to reassign meanings to the acronym “ADD”, starting with the letter A.  “Attention” is now officially “Attitude”.  The other letters will come as I continue to study and ponder these concepts.  But for now, “Attitude” is a great place to start.

Perhaps having a household full of marvelous distractions is God’s way of pushing me to seek after that greater spiritual power.  Because without that greater strength and positive outlook, I know I’m not going to make it through my own "wilderness of affliction".

You can quote me on that.