The Power of Attitude

Last year, my husband Chip and I took a trip of a lifetime.  A cruise to Alaska!  Alaska had been on my bucket list for a very long time and I was very excited and looking forward to this trip.

I paid close attention to the weather forecasts and I packed accordingly.  Chilly days, cold nights and lots of wind.  High’s in the upper 50’s, lows in the low 40’s.   Gloves, scarves, jackets and boots were packed.

I researched all of the places we would visit.  I knew the history and exactly what I wanted to see and do in the short time at each port of call.  The most important thing I wanted to do on this bucket list trip was helicopter to the Mendenhall Glacier and  dog sled.  I couldn’t wait!

My knuckles have never been so white as I squeezed Chip’s arm during the helicopter ride.  But, the views were breathtaking.  We landed on the glacier where the dog camp was and crawled out of the tiny helicopter. It was about 32 degrees with a sideways rain, sleet and snow mix.

I was prepared for the cold, bundled up like an Eskimo. However, I was not prepared for the wet. 

Nowhere in my research did I learn that this region of Alaska was a rain forest.   Rain forests were in the tropics, right?   Nope. 

After a few minutes, my legs were cold and wet, my hair was drenched and becoming covered with icicles. My cute zebra gloves were freezing to my hands and it felt like my panties were freezing to my butt.  I was so mad!!

This was the one thing I REALLY, REALLY wanted to do and this ridiculous weather had ruined it. Bad Attitude was an understatement!   I just wanted to leave.  There was no place for shelter from this mess except maybe in one of  the hundreds of dog houses.  I just had to stand there and be pissed off.   I didn't care about the dogs, the sledding, or even if the helicopter crashed on the way back.  I was freezing cold and wet.  

Even though I hadn't said a word, Chip could tell by my facial expressions and body language that this probably was not going to end well.   I was looking around for others I could commiserate with because misery loves company, but everyone else was having a great time.  They were laughing it up as they fell in the deep snow, loving on the dogs and oooing and aahhing over the scenery. 

What the heck was my problem here?  I slowly and silently gave myself a little pep talk. 

“Get a grip, Lynn.  You can be mad and miserable for the next hour and then whine about it for a few days or you can make the best of these unexpected conditions and enjoy it like the others.  You will probably never have an opportunity like this again in your life and a little cold and wet never hurt anyone”.


 Surprisingly enough, after a few moments, the dogs became cute & cuddly, the scenery was so incredibly beautiful it took my breath away and I began having fun with the rest of the group.  I relaxed, kicked back, didn't worry about my hair or frozen panties and had the time of my life.  Seriously!!   I fell in love with the dogs, the guide and dog sledding.  I hated when it ended and I couldn't get enough of the views during the enjoyable flight back to base.


Ironically, this very impactful message popped up as my daily devotional the next morning:

ATTITUDE

by: Charles Swindoll

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, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, 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 every day 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% how I react to it.

And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.

Attitude adjustment!!    My helicopter, glacier, dog-sled adventure could have been the most miserable time of my life or the most incredible experience of my life.  It was my choice.   I couldn't change the weather conditions, I couldn't change my choice in clothing at that point, but thank goodness I could (and did) change my attitude.

So if you go to Alaska, be sure to take wet weather clothing.  In the meantime, check the attitude frequently and adjust accordingly!!


“Nothing can stop a man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goals and nothing on earth can help a man with the wrong mental attitude”.  –Thomas Jefferson

Wishing you a remarkable attitude!!

Lynn