Starting Right
Starting Right is a 5 minute Day Starter to help keep you motivated, encouraged, and focused throughout your day. DannyMac is a pastor, teacher, motivational speaker, husband, and father. His years of leading and training people have given him vast experience in helping individuals to accomplish change in their lives and meet their goals. He can help you set the course for your day by offering practical advice from God's Word in a positive and fun way. There is no better way to begin your day than by Starting Right with DannyMac.
Starting Right
You Bring Your Weather With You Wherever You Go
Have you ever wondered why some people seem perpetually cheerful while others find negativity everywhere? The answer might be simpler than you think.
Drawing wisdom from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ("Always be joyful, never stop praying, be thankful in all circumstances"), we unpack how our perspective colours everything we experience. . Your attitude affects not only your own experience but radiates outward to everyone you encounter, creating ripples that extend far beyond yourself.
Good morning and welcome to Starting Right with Danny Mac. I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great five-minute start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back, relax and let me help you start your day right. In 1 Thessalonians 5, starting in verse 16, it says Always be joyful, never stop praying, be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. It's really kind of cool that these verses are just packed with instructions about our attitudes, because our attitude toward what life throws at us has so much to do with the outcome. It has been accurately said that our attitude determines our altitude. There was once an old and very wise man who every day would sit outside a gas station in his rocking chair and wait to meet motorists as they passed through his small town. On this day his granddaughter joined him Sitting in the chair beside him. She passed the time with him as they sat and watched the people come and go. A tall man, who surely had to be a tourist, since they knew everyone in the town, began looking around as if he were checking out the area for a place to live. The stranger walked up and asked so what kind of town is this that we're in? The older gentleman slowly turned to the man and replied well, what kind of town are you from? The tourist said in the town I'm from, everyone is critical of each other, the neighbors are all gossips and it's a very negative place to live. I'm sure glad to be living in it, it just is not a cheerful place. The man in the chair looked at the stranger and said you know, that's just how this town is.
Speaker 1:An hour or so later, a family that was also passing through stopped for gas. The car slowly turned in and rolled to a stop. In front of where the older gentleman and his granddaughter were sitting. The mother jumped out with two small children and asked where the restrooms were. The old man in the chair pointed to a small bent-up sign that was barely hanging by one nail on the side of the door.
Speaker 1:The father stepped out of the car, stretched his arms and legs and turned to the old man asking him Is this town a pretty good place to live? The old man in the chair replied what about the town you are from? How is it? The father looked at him and smiled Well, in the town I'm from everyone is very close and always willing to lend their neighbors a helping hand. There's always a hello and a thank you everywhere you go. I really hate to leave it. I feel almost like we're leaving family. The older gentleman turned to the father and gave him a warm smile. You know, that's a lot like this small town, he said. Then the family returned to the car and said their thank yous and waved goodbye and drove away.
Speaker 1:After the family was in the distance, the granddaughter looked up at her grandfather and asked Grandpa, how come? When the first man came into our town, you told him it was a terrible place to live. And when the family came to town, you told them that it was a wonderful place to live. The grandfather lovingly looked down at his granddaughter's wondering blue eyes and said no matter where you move, you take your own attitude with you, and that's what makes it terrible or wonderful.
Speaker 1:It's true that our attitude will affect ourselves, our family, our day, our work, our job, our friends, everyone we come in contact with. Our attitudes will make a huge difference, and here's the powerful key about our attitudes we get to choose what it is. Many people believe that it's the circumstances around us that determine what our attitudes are. But that's just not the truth. The truth is, your attitude depends upon what is inside of you and what kind of attitude you choose to have every day.
Speaker 1:There are some people who appear to always be happy and excited and positive people and they are fun to be around, but that doesn't mean that there's never bad things happening in their lives. They will have the attitude that says I will control how I will respond to the circumstances, and I choose today and every day that my circumstances will not make me sad or grumpy or nasty. I choose every day to let the joy and peace and grace and love of God that is within me to shine through me and give me a great attitude about what's happening around me through me and give me a great attitude about what's happening around me. It's God's will for us to have a good attitude about the people and places and situations that we're in, and it makes a difference not only for us but for everyone else around us. I hope you have a great day, my friends. We will talk again tomorrow. Thank you for listening today and I invite you to join me Monday to Friday, right here on Starting Right with Danny Mac.
