Growing older is hard to prepare for. You have hopes of what your future will look like: staying active with friends, being financially secure, discovering new experiences, but so often something appears out of the clear skies and rains on your parade.
When I ask friends at the Center how they handle the uncertainties of life, the most common answer I hear is a “positive attitude” – making the best of whatever happens. But what can you do to develop and maintain a positive attitude?
I found this INC. magazine article on the Internet, “8 Ways to Improve Your Attitude” by Geoffrey James. The readers of INC. magazine are go-getter entrepreneurial types, but these suggestions can also apply to us “go-getter” older types. How many of these qualities do you possess?
1. Always act with a purpose.
2. Stretch yourself past your limits every day.
3. Take action without expecting results.
4. Use setbacks to improve your skills.
5. Seek out those who share your positive attitude.
6. Don’t take yourself so seriously.
7. Forgive the limitations of others.
8. Say “thank you” more frequently.
2. Stretch yourself past your limits every day.
3. Take action without expecting results.
4. Use setbacks to improve your skills.
5. Seek out those who share your positive attitude.
6. Don’t take yourself so seriously.
7. Forgive the limitations of others.
8. Say “thank you” more frequently.
Even following these suggestions, keeping a positive attitude can still be challenging. There may be days you feel like standing up and fighting back the hands of time from throwing you down the stairs. But there may be other days when you feel angry knowing you are no longer physically or mentally who we once were; or days when you feel resigned believing there isn’t anything you can do to change your life’s direction; or days when the chemo treatment just makes you feel so crappy you just want to stay in bed.
It takes effort to keep your spirits up, finding the best in each day and maintaining a positive attitude. But for those days when it is a struggle to do your best, this prayer might sound familiar.
“So far today, God, I have done alright. I haven’t gossiped, lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty selfish, over-indulgent, or told anyone to mind their own business and to stay out of mine. I’m really glad about that. But in a few minutes, I’m going to get out of bed and from them on I’m probably going to need a lot more help.”
Thanks to everyone who made the Center’s Fundraiser Dinner and Auction a financial success: our sponsors – The Springs at Mill Creek, Ray Schulten’s Motors and Cousins Restaurant; The Pines Winery; all the wonderful volunteers including the Red Hat Ladies and Boy Scout Troop #396; the night’s master auctioneer and entertainer – Rocky Webb; and especially Joan Silver, Vicki Sallee, Nancy Sallee and Jana Webb who planned and organized the event. And as promised we raffled off the Chicken Coop and the lucky winner was Matt Eby.
The snow forced us to postpone this class last month, but we’ll try again on Wednesday, March 6th at 1:00 when Lucille Torgerson and Widge Johnson will be presenting their one-hour class, “As I Was Saying – Writing Your Life Story for Your Family, Friends and Yourself”. If you ever wanted to write your life experiences to share with others, this will be a great place to start.
The title of the book written by Truman Capote that detailed the 1959 murders of four members of the Herbert Clutter family in a small farming community in Kansas was In Cold Blood. I received correct answers from Sue Ortega, Ruth Radcliffe, Barbara Caldwell, Jerry Phillips, Lana Tepfer, Carol Earl, Cheri Brent and Lee Kaseberg – this week’s winner of a free quilt raffle ticket. And last week I missed Ruth Radcliffe.
The irreverent World War II novel by Joseph Heller first published in 1961 follows the life of Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the title of this book that became a cult classic, especially among the Vietnam War generation, and the title has become a part of our modern vocabulary describing a “no-win” situation. Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or return your answer on the back of the poster for the film adaption released in 1970.
Well, it’s been another week waiting for the signs of spring to rise out of the winter snow. Until we meet again, what’s been doesn’t necessarily mean what will be.
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“The thing that’s important to know is that you never know. You’re always sort of feeling your way.” Diana Arbus, Photographer
