The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

Charles R. Swindoll, a prominent American evangelical pastor and author, is widely associated with teachings on personal responsibility, resilience, and Christian character. This line is commonly circulated as part of his well-known “attitude” passage, in which he stresses that while people cannot control many external circumstances, they can choose their response to them. The quotation is typically presented in motivational and devotional settings—sermons, inspirational compilations, and leadership materials—reflecting Swindoll’s broader pastoral emphasis on daily, intentional spiritual and emotional discipline rather than passive drift.

The quote argues that attitude is not merely a mood that happens to us but a daily decision we can make. Swindoll frames each day as a fresh moral and psychological choice: we may not control events, but we can control the stance—hopeful, bitter, grateful, fearful—with which we meet them. The significance lies in shifting agency back to the individual, encouraging accountability and resilience. In a Christian-inflected reading typical of Swindoll, this “choice” also implies reliance on spiritual resources (faith, prayer, discipline) to cultivate a constructive outlook despite hardship.