There are two groups of people when it comes to attitude – one that carries a bucket of gasoline and another that carries a bucket of water. Depending on the circumstance, some people either stoke the fire of optimism burn brightly or they eradicate it quickly.
I think we all have met people that make a difference through their attitudes. They are the kind of people who constantly see the cup half-full rather than half-empty. They are the “can-do” people in any situation. They are usually contagious people to be around because they stir up the fire of optimism in our own hearts.
John Maxwell, who has taught on leadership for more than a quarter of a century, constantly draws attention to this factor of attitude in a lot of his leadership materials. If leaders are the thermostat of any group then their attitude will determine how other people will respond in a particular situation.
He mentions that there are the “Big Five Attitude Obstacles” that everybody faces: discouragement, change, problems, fear, and failure. The way we handle any one of these five obstacles shows us about our attitudes.
Here are some phrases that I highlighted from this book:
• Your attitude colors every aspect of your life. It is like the mind’s paintbrush.
• Poor self-image and poor attitudes often walk hand in hand. It’s hard to see anything in the world as positive if you see yourself as negative.
• Every thought you have shapes your life.
• My attitude in the areas that I do control will be the difference maker
• The happiest people in life don’t necessarily have the best of everything. They just try to make the best of everything.
• Life often gives you whatever you expect from it.
• Every challenge has an opportunity. And every opportunity has a challenge. A person’s attitude determines how she handles those.
• Because your attitude is your emotional approach to life… it’s the framework through which you see events, other people, even yourself.
The one phrase that stuck out for me was – “Most of the great work in this world was done by men and women who didn’t believe that what they were doing was impossible.”
When I think about history-makers and those who have transformed different parts of the world, they were people who believed that nothing is impossible. The Christians who made a difference were people who believed in a Great God who is able to do great things.
As we make the investment in our attitude, we will slowly see how powerful it really is in our daily lives.