We have all heard the famous saying, “life is 10% of what happens and 90% of how you react to it.” In life, attitude is everything; it is what shapes our beliefs and our desires. Harsh times will occur throughout our lives, but it is up to us how we interpret them. We are always in control of our emotions despite any given situation.

Many people blame their circumstances for their shortcomings and as a result accept the harsh reality of their situation. These people believe an event is equivalent to its outcome; however, for the truly remarkable person, adversity is where they thrive.

What allows these people to succeed? They realize it is not what has happened to them in their lives, but the manner in which they react to these events. The way a person decides to respond to certain occurrences is what will shape his or her feelings, actions and results. It all lies within ourselves to be successful in life or not.

We can choose to live the life we want, no matter how tough it can get. It is all a matter of mentality, only we will prevent ourselves from achieving greatness. The rest are just small detours before we reach our destinations.

Adversity is something that everyone faces at some point in his or her life. These difficult and trying times however are not what define us, but the way in which we react to them is what reveals our true character. Anyone can be defeated when life does not go as planned, but the strong survivors are the people who can overcome such hardships.

Knowledge comes from everything we do and everything that happens to us. We learn valuable lessons over the course of time based on our experiences and the ways in which we react to them. Every hardship presents an opportunity, we just need to recognize that instead of letting it defeat us. Your thoughts and attitude change your experiences and shape your life.

You have a choice when it comes to reactions and although in the moment, you want to get angry, you need to actively remind yourself why that is so detrimental.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

The only environment we have control of is our internal one, so the way we interpret situations is the only control we have over them. Each day we are presented with a variety of situations and it is up to us on the way we react. Too many times we rush into decisions during difficult times, only to regret them later on. In that moment, our responses are clouded and our judgment is askew.

Logic is thrown out the window while we let our emotions take control. We don’t think things through because when tough times occur, we become angry and frustrated. These are two overpowering emotions that do not allow our intelligence to reach the forefront of our minds.

The truth is that the way in which we react to everything that happens around us determines the quality of our lives. There are things in the world we can control and things that we cannot. First and foremost it is essential to accept the fact that not everything is in our control. Only then can you realize the impact your attitude has on your experiences. As soon as this is realized, you will start feel a greater sense of control in your life.

“The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.”

You always have a choice of how you are going to respond to what the world offers you. Do not let something dictate the way you react to things. You need to look within yourself and realize that you have the power to make things happen. We are a sum of all of our life’s experiences, so use these past lessons to help better your present situation.

– Ashley Fern.