Commit to be Fit: Attitude is everything

With yesterday’s Fourth of July celebration of our country’s freedom, I would like to share what Victor Frankl describes as an individual's highest calling and truest freedom: “Everything can be taken from a person but one thing: it is the last of human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any circumstance, to choose one’s way.” Viktor Frankl

Renowned psychiatrist Frankl survived four different Nazi death camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother and pregnant wife perished. Along with his own experiences and recounting the experiences of other prisoners, Frankl wrote the bestselling memoir, “Man’s Search for Meaning.” In it, Frankl argues that even though we cannot avoid suffering, we can choose how to cope with difficult times, find meaning in the suffering and move forward with renewed purpose.

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom,” explains Frankl.

We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control our response. “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves,” says Frankl.

Is there an attitude or situation in which you would like to implement Frankl’s reminder? People can be cruel, take things from us, mock us, or do mean things to us. Even though people may let us down, they can never control our reactions to their behaviors. We are the only ones in control of our thoughts, emotions and reactions.

Frankl believes that in order to have the freedom to choose, we must first have the realization of our power to choose. To acknowledge this freedom ask yourself these three questions:

You may be surprised — and empowered — by the answers you come up with.

In asking yourself how you want to react, use this analogy: Imagine you are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you making your coffee spill everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? Because someone bumped into me, is one answer, but coffee was spilled because coffee was in your cup. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea.

Knowing we have the ability to choose how we react; ask yourself what will happen when life delivers a hard knock? Just like the analogy, understand that whatever is residing within you, will spill out. Will it be joy, gratitude, peace and humility? Or will it be anger, bitterness, resentment and a victim mentality?

Life provides the cup, YOU choose how to fill it. Today let's take Frankl’s lead and choose to fill our minds and thoughts with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, resilience, positivity, kindness, gentleness and love for others.

Even though Frankl’s life is an extraordinary example of one person’s desire to thrive in dire circumstances, may his example be an inspiration to take time to celebrate the internal freedoms that lie within each of us. Freedom is choosing to live in the here and now, without borrowing troubles from the future or holding on to the past.

Also, a big thank you to our servicemen and servicewomen and their family members for their commitment and sacrifice to ensure our many freedoms. “Home of the free because of the brave!”

Kylie Alger is a certified wellness coach and co-owner of the Well-Woman: Body, Mind & Spirit. Comments: kylie@thewellwoman.org.