How is your atmosphere?
B. Keith Chapman, President & CEO
The earth’s atmosphere is important to our survival. It contains gases that support life and promote growth. There are things that directly affect the sustainability and quality of our atmosphere. A bad atmosphere can have a substantial impact on the quality of life. In fact, scientists have proven that there are planets that cannot sustain life because of their atmosphere. In this edition, let’s think briefly about the atmosphere in our workplace and family.
A toxic atmosphere at work or at home does not promote healthy relationships and happiness. Can you control the atmosphere around you? You have probably heard the phrase, “life of the party”. One receives this designation from influencing the atmosphere of the gathering. If the “life of the party” leaves, then theoretically, the party dies or certainly becomes less enjoyable. The truth is each one of us can impact the environment around us. We can contribute to the stress, negativity and rumors which will further deteriorate the atmosphere, or we can contribute to a positive and encouraging atmosphere that fosters learning and growth. Jane Goodall once said, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what difference you want to make.” The longer someone remains in a poor atmosphere, the higher the probability that it will affect their health, relationships and overall satisfaction.
If one person can be the life of a party, then it should be easy to believe that one person can help improve the atmosphere in the workplace or at home. The key is recognizing those things that help and avoiding those things that can damage an atmosphere. In the book of Galatians, there are nine attributes that are referred to as the Fruit of the Spirit. These attributes include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Can you imagine an atmosphere in which most of the people were applying these attributes regularly? This would be a very desirable and encouraging atmosphere that would promote healthy relationships and growth.
People are certainly our biggest asset, but they can also be our biggest challenge. It is natural for people to adapt to their environment, even when it is a negative one. Psalms 128:2 (NIV) says, “You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessing and prosperity will be yours.” When the “fruit” or results of your labor resemble the nine attributes mentioned in Galatians, you can expect blessings and prosperity. Conversely, we can expect the opposite results when our mode of operation is negative and decisive. We make a choice every time we walk into an unhealthy atmosphere — do we join in with everyone else, or do we improve the atmosphere by exercising the attributes explained in Galatians? If you do take on the challenge of changing the atmosphere, you must be prepared for the fact that not everyone understands the secret to or the direct benefits of a healthy atmosphere. Your infusion of the attributes into the atmosphere around you will be noticed and eventually begin to impact people. This transformation is not often immediate, but you will find it is truly rewarding.
Challenge: Apply the nine attributes to all aspects of your life. Be the “life in the atmosphere” and influence those around you. Even when people don’t respond to you in the same fashion, stay the course and enjoy the blessings and prosperity that come from operating with the right attributes.
Published: November 2018
