My Thoughts About: Attitude
By Mary Bradley McCauley

It has a way of preening itself often without awareness of the person. A posture, a stance, a belief, attitude bestows identify upon us as naturally as air gives life. It is as imperceptible, and comes upon us without our knowledge, weaving within the framework of our personality.

Attitude wears many disguises. It can be a cloak of self assured righteousness or a mask of insecurity. It is tailored by perceptions, fitted by experience and adjusted by events. It is an apparel that denotes stature and as changeable as the seasons.

Change comes as we evolve in our perceptional world of ideas and ideals. As babes we were clothed by our parents and family. Our attitudes were reflections of the images projected to us. Education created individualized
growth. Color, style, and texture became the accessories of maturity, associates of our own design. The fashion of the day shaped our philosophy. Brilliant hues of wisdom, combined with muted shades of reality, are the seams that hold together our foundations.

When we don an attitude that is foreign to our nature, we are uncomfortable. It doesn't quite fit, the lines do not flow well, it sags in places and in others it pinches our freedom. We tug and pull, smooth and press until the attitude is shaped and either becomes one with our persona or is discarded for a new garment of beliefs

My attitude about life has had numerous changes like the textures of seasonal fabric. During the spring of youthful emerging, I wore a simple garment of a code of conduct. It was lightweight, flowed without impairment and sometimes clung to me as I galloped towards adolescence.

In the summer of my life and I was arrayed with flowing robes of family. My garments changed as I moved in a world of responsibilities. I wore hats and gloves as the wife of an Army Office. I tied an apron of domesticity about my waist, and wore a chauffeurs cap with ease as my six children became a part of my world. My attitudes were steeped in the traditional ideals of the 50's when father knew bet. It was a simple time and the clothes were comfortable.

In time a traveler's wardrobe was added to my closet. With suitcase in hand, passport in purse, and comfortable shoes on feet, I slipped into a career suit that was too big for me. The combined responsibilities of family and career needed reshaping. Slipping in and out of costumes created a world of uncompleted commitments.

I became estranged from my family, the apron was untied and left behind as I moved into my own apartment. In time the travel suit was discarded and piled on a heap of
forgotten dreams. My attitude became one of no stress, no strain and of course that became no accomplishment. It was easier not to do anything then to strive for intangible goals. It was a time of lost confidence, hurting heart, literally and figuratively, and a time of non productive activity. I wore an ill fitting garment of rejection and self hostility.

Now it is the winter of my identity. A sweater of comfort warms me as I watch my adult children wear their apparels of citizenship. Their attitudes reflect images of responsible maturity sparkling on the horizon of their changing worlds.

I have watched them shed articles of disguises as silkworms shed their cocoons. From babies to teens, then to adults they have received the responsibilities placed on them and wear them like crowns.

My crown is shaped by the smiles of my grandchildren, jeweled with memories of life's pleasures and dotted with bangles of successes. My robe is still being fitted as I progress into my new role of senior citizen. I've chosen
the fabric with care. It is light weight for mobility, secured with clasps of comfort, and designed with patterns of love. It wears well as I snuggle into it's deep folds.

I am more content at this time of my life than I have ever been. My attitude is comfortable, for it has discarded the disguises of various identities. The costumes and masks have been tossed into the halls of time. My life is now, and I enjoy the attitude of this moment.

The identifying feature of anything is it's character. A person is a character on the stage of life. Mannerisms, expressions and speech mold the individual who is then directed by circumstances.

The question is, who is the creator of the circumstances? Is it the individual, or the society in which he or she survives?

I belong to the esoteric school of life that teaches, 'as a man thinketh, so shall he be'. I did not come to this school without a primary education. My character was in part shaped by the teachings of the Catholic Church.

The Baltimore Catechism formed much of my early character when I was in first grade with the questions, "Who is God?" The memorized response was, "God is the Supreme
Being who made all things". This was followed with, "Who made you?" "God made me", and then, "Why did God make you?", the response, "To know, love and serve Him in this
life and the next". The basic foundation of this creed, along with my family's influence, prepared the stage for my life's performances.

My role in Act One was with the awareness that somewhere,
in the vast audience, God was watching me. He would know if I was serving Him and if I wasn't, there was the counterpart of God, Satan. Confession on Saturday, along with absolution of my sins guaranteed I would perform my part as predicated.

It wasn't until characters outside my family and church made their entrance on the stage that I learned my role could be molded by my own instincts. My performance did not alter much. I retained the essence of the character through Act One, my growth and development, and most of Act Two, marrying and raising my family in the basic traditions
of my faith.

It was during the last scene of Act Two that a revelation came upon me. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, a new awareness crept onto the stage, hovering just beyond the footlights as if waiting for me to acknowledge its presence while whispering cues that were not in the original script.

"There is more to life than what you think."; "You have a dual nature, one physical, the other spiritual."; Life is not only what you see, feel, touch, hear, and smell, it is also what you intuit.". You are not your body, it is merely a costume that you wear".

Gradually the asides became louder, more frequent and by the time I entered Act Three, the awareness had engulfed me and become the focal point of my character. My life
changed as new thoughts and beliefs took over directing and shaping the role I portrayed.

It was then that my costars, my husband and children, took over leads in their own dramas. Now and then I played a minor role bur always shifted back to my own theater of
action. Some of the leading characters exited forever and remain only in my memory. The essence of their spirits still pattern the framework of my heart.

Breaking with the traditional philosophy of my life was not difficult once I realized that the foundation of Christianity had been rooted in the esoteric belief of Unity. "The Father and I are One!" (John 10:30) "Who has seen me, has seen the Father". (John 14:9)

The revelation of who I am finally descended. The awesomeness of it staggered my mind. The truth of it was not to be denied. The responsibility was overpowering. I was not only made in the 'image and likeness of God', (another precept from the Baltimore Catechism), but the spirit of God is in me, not only in me, but is me.

I realized the universality of everything. All that is, is God. This ultimate truth created scenarios of life that at first, I refused to believe. If all that is, is God, then Hitler would have been God. Cruel and almost inhumane entities would have been God. I didn't want to accept this ideology. How could the loving God that I knew be within a being of hatred?

It was when I recalled the whispered cue from beyond the footlights, "you have a dual nature, one physical, the other spiritual", that the truth came upon me. The spirit of God is our essence. The power of God is within. How we use that power if determined by our physical nature. We can choose to use it for good or evil. It is our free will.

Once I understood the validity of 'free will', and the magnitude of the power within, my physical and spiritual identities merged. Forming a new character that can create the drama and direct the actions.

This is the role I now play as I move within the third act. I am fully aware that the actions are based upon my perceptions. What I think is indeed what I am. It is with this in mind that I conclude that I am the writer, producer, director and star in my personal
drama of life. I am the creator of my character.

Mary Bradley McCauley is a retired group tour travel advisor, author, intuitive, and communicator/listener. You can read about her latest metaphysical novel, "The House of Annon", at http://mypeoplepc.com/members/sismc/thehouseofannon

Info about her Six Steps to FREE Cruises and Tours booklet is at:

http://mypeoplepc.com/members/sismc/anexpertsguidetofreecruisesandtours