”Doom is inevitable. Gloom is optional.”
On Monday mornings, I can go on social media and see so many people whining about how it is Monday. They hate Mondays. Everything goes wrong on Mondays. It is hard to get started back to work on Mondays after a nice weekend. And on and on it goes!
I was always amazed on Mondays when my special education students seemed happy to be back at school. They reacted the same way after holidays. While other students hated coming back, my students looked forward to the return. You see, my students like a routine and liked thing they could depend on. Weekends and holidays usually had no routines and could even involve a lot of chaos and confusion. Many of my students liked knowing what was going to happen before it happened. Most families don’t plan their weekends and holidays because they enjoy the escape from routines and planning.
Every day my husband wakes up and declares how glad he is to be alive! He is the most positive person I have ever known. He always makes me smile when he says this, and I realize that I’m glad too.
When I worry about things that might happen when we go on a trip or we want to go on a new adventure, he talks about it with me and lets me talk about the worst thing that could happen. Other than dying, we talk about solutions if those things ever happen (which they usually don’t ever but I feel prepared if they do.) This is his way of compromising and allowing me my fears but not letting it stop us from having fun.
It is these times when I realize that my attitude is a choice that I can make. I can choose to be gloomy and discouraging or I can choose to appreciate the life I have. If I choose to be negative, the self-fulfilling prophecy will probably make my thoughts come true. If I choose to be positive, I will look at my day in a better light and expect the best.
I want to set a good example for my students in the same way my husband does for me.
How do you teach your students to have a positive attitude? Please share.
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