A good attitude is like good posture. Sometimes I just feel crummy. How I feel is reflected in my posture. It may seem “easier” to care less about standing up straight or sitting up straight. But slouching and slumping effects breathing, digestion and coordination. I can spring up from a chair easily, if I am sitting properly. Slide down and essentially “sit” on my lower spine and getting up uses more energy. It’s never graceful. There is economy in movement when you maintain good posture. It preserves energy, stays balanced and is coordinated.
The mind is quite similar. If I keep my attitude aligned and focused, then I can respond faster and with more assurance. I think and comprehend better. And “thinking” up straight does not require more energy. It is the mental equivalent of straightening the spine, looking forward, dropping the shoulders, holding in the stomach and not locking your knees. From that neutral position, we access our core strength. Our minds have the same wellspring of power at their core.
The emotional and mental comparative to slumping and slouching is a sloppy and disheveled response to decisions and problem solving.
The shift is minor. There are very few centimeters between good and poor posture. Try walking around with a textbook balanced on your head. My sisters and I practiced this all the time as young girls. If we could master the elegant stride that keep the Encyclopedia Britannica perched atop our heads, we could be the next Cheryl Tiegs.
Mental, emotional and intellectual grace are found in the psychological equivalent to standing up straight.