5.

"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, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day 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 string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes. "        ~ Charles Swindoll

I was first acquainted with this quote at church when I was 12 or 13.  I will always remember the sweet lady that shared it with us.  It has truly been life changing.  I'm so grateful it stuck with me that day because I believe it has truly shaped my character and influenced my reactions to all kinds of moments in my life.  You will find the words that truly speak to me are in bold.