I once heard of a prank perpetuated by some kids on their grandfather. He took daily naps on the sofa, naps that were so deep nothing would awaken him. During one nap they smeared some Limburger cheese on his mustache and waited for him to awaken. Soon he did, with a sniff, and declared, “This sofa stinks!” He then moved to the LazyBoy where again he declared, “This chair stinks!” He tried every room in the house only to find that they, too, stunk. Finally, he went outside to get some fresh air, and when he took a deep breath, he declared, “The whole world stinks!”

Unfortunately, that story repeats daily in the lives of some people, only figuratively. With bad attitudes, they declare that everything in the world stinks – their job, their circumstances, their church, their pastor. They view a situation or person as bad, yet others see it differently. All the while, the stink was actually right under their nose, following them everywhere they go. They ARE the stink.

Our attitudes determine how we view the world around us, and the good news is we control our attitude – it is a choice. Proverbs 23:7 tells us as a man “thinks within himself, so he is.” Our attitude actually BECOMES our reality. So, how can we change our attitude and thereby change our reality?

First, we need to change the contents of our thoughts. If somehow Limburger cheese is under our nose, we need to wash our face. Philippians 4:8 teaches us to fill our mind with the right kinds of thoughts and leave no room for the negative thoughts. We can change the way we view our reality by changing WHAT we think.

Additionally, we need to change our influencers. The people around us either lift us up or bring us down – and the direction we are going is often deceiving. Sometimes we think people are making us feel better by commiserating with us, but in the end, they are only helping us dig deeper into the pit of negativity. 1 Corinthians 15:33 teaches us that “bad company corrupts good character.” If your friends are negative, chances are you will be too. If your friends are positive, they will lift your spirit and help you attitude.

If we change what we think, and change who influences our thoughts, chances are we will begin to see our reality in a fresh new light. Things are not as bad as we think they are, nor nearly as bad as others try to tell us they are. So, wipe the stinky cheese off your face and face the world with a new attitude.