Gentling Attitude

Remember, attitude and intention are boat and oars. Without oars, the boat might not move, but with holes in our boat, we just sink. At this very moment our less-than-gentle attitudes about ourselves and the world are drilling holes in our boat.

Trouble is, most of us were not raised believing that being gentle with ourselves was optimal behavior, and we certainly are not living in a gentle world right now. Of course, there are wonderful attitudes and areas of gentleness everywhere. But, because of political and media blight and the very real plight of so many people, we often need to search for the grace of gentleness. It is out there, and, more important, we can create it inside our

own selves. Even better, with gentleness as our internal guide, we can become emissaries of gentleness elsewhere.

The first step in gentling our attitudes is to be aware if they are a bit rough around the edges. With awareness, we can set our intention to act differently. We might say, “My intention is to be gentle and kind to myself at all times and in all situations.” You can also create an affirmation, such as “I am gentle and kind to myself,” to support your intention.

Like flowers, we thrive, grow, and bloom into our highest potential

more readily in a gentle and nourishing environment. Our inner

environment is the most important greenhouse we have.

Excerpted from How to Stay Upbeat in a Beat Down World by Sue Patton Thoele. Available on Amazon.