God has given us free will, including the ability to influence the direction and the tone of our thoughts.  God wants us to direct those thoughts towards: “whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable— if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8). The quality of our attitude will help determine the quality of our lives, so we must guard our thoughts accordingly. If we make up our minds to approach life with a healthy mixture of realism and optimism, we will be rewarded. But if we allow ourselves to fall into the unfortunate habit of negative thinking, we will doom ourselves to unhappiness or mediocrity, or worse. So, the next time we find ourselves dwelling upon the negative aspects of life, let us refocus our attention on positive things. That is the wise way to direct our thoughts. Let us ask God for an attitude that is Christlike. Whatever our circumstances, let our response reflect a God-honoring attitude of optimism, faith, and love for Him. — Psalm 23:5-6