Attitude: You attract what your attitude seeks
Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope this weeks edition is as beneficial for you reading it…. as it was for me writing it. If it is, then please forward it along to somebody you feel could use it in their life. Thank you for being a part of the journey.
Today we will be talking about the gateway for all things in life.
ATTITUDE
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." Winston Churchill
You see, I’ve been very fortunate to work along side some very successful people in my life. I’m here to tell you that it is IMPOSSIBLE to do what you want to do if you’re attitude is not in the right place.
You cannot lead, direct or inspire anything positive if your attitude is not also positive.
This is because in almost all circumstances, there are both positive and negative aspects. If you focus on the positives, you will find them…. and if you focus on the negatives, you will also find those. Your attitude is the primary driver for all outcomes and you will attract what your attitude seeks.
That’s not to say that we don’t all have our moments or that you should have to be on point at all times, but we can manage our attitudes if we think like a casino.
Casinos don’t win every time…. but they stack the odds in their favor and know that they ALWAYS win over the long haul.
Here are the core drivers of a bad attitude and ways I have found to stack the odds in my favor.
Mindset: Those with a negative attitude are problem finding, dwelling on problems, obstacles, and potential failures. For me, personally, watching the news almost always gets my mindset into a negative place. So, I stopped watching years ago and noticed an immediate improvement in the way I viewed the world.
Resilience: People with negative attitudes struggle to cope with setbacks, viewing challenges as insurmountable obstacles that lead to frustration. I got much better at managing this as I got more experienced in life. Looking backwards, almost every issue that seemed like a huge challenge ended up being a huge opportunity that I grew through. Instead of looking at things as new problems, look at them as new adventures and opportunities.
Self-Efficacy: Individuals with a negative attitude tend to doubt their capabilities, leading to feelings of helplessness and a lack of control. But, here’s the reality that nobody talks about…. anyone doing something new… is learning on the fly. Give yourself some credit and be open to feedback. If you’re uncomfortable, its because you’re growing.
Gratitude: Those with a negative attitude struggle to recognize positive aspects, emphasizing dissatisfaction or lack. Using words like “Please, thank you, I appreciate it, have a great day, etc” not only is good manners, it verbally reinforces the fact that you are grateful for the contributions of others. If these are not part of your regular vocabulary, practice until they are. Your words matter more than you think.
Social Support: If you hang out with negative people, you will be negative. You are who you associate with. Yes, you should be nice to everyone, but the people we allow to impact our attitudes should be very limited. Be allergic to negativity. Life’s too short to be around people that constantly put you in a bad mood. We are filters of our surroundings and if your environment is always negative, you will also be negative.
Over time I’ve also come up with my own little reminders that help keep things in perspective and that help me keep my attitude in check. I’m sure most of these I picked up from somewhere else, although they are so ingrained in my head at this point I can’t give credit where credit may be due. I hope they help you regulate your attitude, as they have helped me many times.
“I cannot accomplish ANYTHING, I want to do….if I’m in a bad mood.”
Every minute I have a bad attitude is a minute I’m working against myself. Therefore, I should do whatever I can to change my attitude as fast as possible, because I’m only damaging myself.
“If this is the worst thing to happen today, we’re doing pretty good”
Keep things in perspective. Most problems are not really problems that have any long term consequence. Yes, I may be frustrated in the moment, but in a week I probably won’t even remember this as an issue.
“If I keep doing the “Right thing”…. There’s no way I can lose over the long haul”
Sometimes it can get discouraging not to see immediate results. For example, going to the gym for one day or starting a diet. Are you going to see immediate results? Probably not. However, is there a downside to taking care of yourself and making it a daily habit? No….. Keep doing the right things and overtime you are guaranteed to be in a better place.
“Nobody has is all figured out and I’m no different”
Everybody is one day older today than they were yesterday. Meaning, today is going to bring new challenges that they’ve never run into before and they’ll have to figure it out. I am no different and shouldn’t expect myself to know everything.
“I am allowed to change”
Just because something sounds interesting to me today, doesn’t mean I have to commit to it forever. On the flip side, just because something was interesting to me yesterday, doesn’t mean it has to be important to me today. I am allowed to change and so are other people.
“I would rather have people expect something from me, then expect nothing of me”
If I’m feeling pressure, it means somebody is counting on me… and that’s an honor that I should value.
“Doing anything new is uncomfortable. If I’m uncomfortable, it means I’m learning”
Doing anything the first time is hard. Buying a house, starting a family, moving out, driving a car, etc. I need to embrace the fact that I’m growing, not be intimidated by it.
“I always have a choice. I can either accept the situation or change it”
I need to pick and choose my battles. Rather than complaining about things I don’t intend to fix, my energy is better spent focusing on the items I actually feel competed to take action on.
“You can read a book on how to ride a bike. You can watch a video on how to ride a bike. You can read directions on how to ride a bike. But, the only way your going to learn how to ride a bike is to get your butt on the seat and to start pedaling”
Some things you can only learn by doing them, failing, and getting back up. Don’t overthink it.
Balance is very hard to learn and each person handles that in a unique way… but it is the ultimate goal.
So with that, I hope you have a fantastic day and that your attitude guides you towards amazing outcomes. Somebody, somewhere, is counting on you to be a bright light in their day and you owe it to the world to be your unique self. If you take nothing else from the newsletter today other than the brief list below, the world will be a brighter place thanks to your influence. Thank you for being a part of my adventure and I’ll see you next week!
