The last couple of days have been too hot too soon, and I’ve found myself sipping more water and tea than I normally do this time of year; and, I’ve even drank a couple of lemonades.
Most of us have heard the old adage that if you’re handed lemons, make lemonade. This is a statement that speaks of managing your attitude.

Attitude is important because it determines your altitude. While there are many things in your life that are beyond your control, your attitude is not one of them.

• You cannot change your past, but you can change the way you think about your past.
• You may not be able to change the way people treat you, but you can change the way you think about people.
• You may not be able to change your circumstance in life, but you can change the way you think about your situation.

It was Dale Carnegie who said: “It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.”

Attitudes usually have at least three things in common:

• An Emotional Response or how you feel about the person, place, or event
• An Intellectual Component or what you believe about the situation
• An Expression of Behavior or how your attitude is manifested
I believe there is some truth to the statement: “Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I respond to it.”
The importance of attitude is discussed several places in the Bible. Ephesians 4, is one of these: “Stop being mean, bad-tempered, and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ.” ~The Message

As you move through the day today, notice a couple of things:

• Listen to your self-talk—how are your mental messages influencing you?
• Notice your emotional response when someone enters the room where you are.
• Pay attention to your muscles—when are you relaxed or uptight?
• Be aware of your perception

Finally, think about the words of Abraham Lincoln: “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”