Spring Cleaning - Window Washing

"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world."
— George Bernard Shaw

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It’s likely overdue! If you haven’t got around to it yet, now is the time to get going on the seasonal ritual of spring cleaning. Yes, it’s time to clean away the dirt and grime that the fall and winter have left behind. To me, the worst job on my spring cleaning list is window washing. If you do it right, it's time consuming and no matter you do, there are always those little streaks left behind. Nonetheless, when the job is done, there's a good feeling knowing that your window is devoid of dirt and grime. The dirt and grime of the past season have been washed away giving you a clearer vision to the outside world.

Jeff Keller, in his book Attitude is Everything says, “Your attitude is you window to the world.” Keller explains that your attitude is a mental filter on how you view yourself, others, events and the world. Some people view life optimistically; they choose to look for the good in everything (the glass is half full). Some people view life pessimistically. They choose to focus on the negative things occurring in their life and around them (the glass is half empty). Other people can be situationally optimistic or pessimistic, which depends upon relative circumstances.

How about you? What does you window look like? Could it use a spring cleaning? All of us start out in life with a clean window. As we grow older, our window gets dirty by critical comments, harsh statements, cynical remarks and so forth. For the most part, the people closest to us in our lives, have unintentionally thrown dirt on our windows. Nonetheless, the window gets dirty. Others, for a host of reasons, generally selfish though, have intentionally thrown dirt on our windows. When dirt is thrown on our windows, our perspective about life becomes distorted and we begin looking for reasons to validate our perspective. Eventually, were not able to see all the good that life has to offer. Our enthusiasm for life wanes. We give up on our dreams. We become, depressed, disturbed, and disappointed. We now possess a negative attitude about ourselves and life, which in turn, produces negative results.

What’s a person to do? Wash your window! Just like a good spring cleaning, washing your window of life will offer you a clearer look at your life and the world around you. Once the dirt and grime of the past is cleaned away a whole new world will befall you. The dirt of the past can no longer prevent you from seeing all that awaits you. A clear window will allow you to focus on what’s really important to you.

You may ask, “How do I clean my attitude window?” You can begin by forgiving those in your past that may have injured you, intentionally or unintentionally. You can disassociate with those who refuse to clean their windows and choose to see life through a negative filter. And, you can commit to setting aside time each day to read motivational, inspirational, and/or positive literature. The more you read, the more positively you think. The more positively you think, the more positive you become.

Cleaning your window is a choice that only you can make. Nobody can clean your window; that is your responsibility. Life is not really what happens to you; it is how you respond to what happens to you that counts. Shakespeare said, “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Today is the day to commit to the cleaning you window. Like washing windows in the spring, cleaning your attitude window, will be a time consuming process, but the results are well worth it.
Squeegee anyone?

Have a WONDERFUL Wednesday!
It's your life: live it; love it & celebrate it!
MJD