Change Your Mind

(January 6, 2021) The word that came to mind Monday was ‘repent.’ Repentance is “the  activity of reviewing one’s actions and feeling contrition or regret for  past wrongs… accompanied by actual actions that show and prove a  change for the better… it involves a commitment to personal change  and the resolve to live a more responsible and humane life.” – Wikipedia. 

The other phrase that comes to mind is “You are what you think all day  long.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

We make New Year’s resolutions because we see a need to do better in  some way. When the word ‘repent’ came to mind Monday, I knew I had  to change what I call my attitude habits. Maybe you see yourself in the  same boat. 

When something doesn’t go the way we want it to, when problems  come up or people let us down, does griping about it change anything?  No -- all that does is fuel the fire of our misery. They say we get more  cynical as we age. But what do we gain from our cynicism? Certainly not  control over our circumstances. Maybe we’re just making ourselves  miserable by dwelling on what’s crappy in life and what we wish were  different, instead of looking for something good to appreciate. The only  thing we can change is our attitude and our own actions.  

Also Monday, we learned that Alex Trebek’s final week as host of  “Jeopardy!” is airing this week, and so we’re making it a point to watch  “Jeopardy!” this week. They tell us he passed away only days after  these games were taped. 

I’m struck by Alex’s demeanor: He’s his usual friendly self. There are no frowns, no bitterness in his voice, and nothing to divulge his pain. He is  doing what he loves and gifting his contestants and viewers with the  game they also love. He’s showing us what it looks like to live in the  moment, to look for something good, to appreciate what good there is  around him, even if he wishes things were different. 

And so, for you and me, maybe now’s the time to take deliberate steps to fight the temptation to dwell on what’s wrong with our world.  Maybe now’s the time to fight that defeatist mentality and instead find  reasons for hope. Maybe now’s the time to replace our cynicism,  complaining, and selfishness with optimism, forbearance, and  generosity. Maybe now’s the time to change our thoughts and our  attitudes. Maybe it’s time to take action if we want something to  change. 

This article is a personal reflection by Gina Bedell © 2021. It and other reflections written by her invite  the reader to reflect on a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual  reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other persons who may guide the reader to a deeper faith  and understanding of God’s love and will for their life.