Is My Attitude Worth Catching?
In many ways, we’re alike; however, one little difference almost always makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude.
William James, over a century ago, said, “The greatest discovery of this generation is that a human being can alter their life by altering their attitude.”
I believe this with all my heart, and over the years have seen it happen countless times. What most people fail to realize is that your attitude not only impacts your happiness and your success, it also can impact the happiness and success of all the people around you…your family, your friends, and your peers at work. Attitudes truly are contagious, and from time to time we need to ask ourselves…
“Is my attitude worth catching?”
There is no way to overstate the importance of a positive attitude in your life. It’s not easy maintaining it, and it’s a very personal thing, but it can be done.
Our emotions are powerful motivators, and more than almost anything else in our lives they will drive our behavior. Sometimes our greatest challenge is to get inside our own heads to understand what makes us tick. Why do we feel and behave the way we do?
Highly motivated, positive people are focused. The mind is clear, and energy levels are high. Also, many things can hold you back and prevent you from becoming all you can be. One of those things is…Emotional Baggage.
There were two family members who were best friends, but several years ago, one reminded the other of something that had happened thirty years earlier. One thing led to another and they haven’t spoken since.
Anger or resentment is like a cancer, and when you let it go untreated, it will put an invisible ceiling on your future. You don’t know it…but it does.
William Ward identified the cure when he said, “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the handcuffs of hate.”
Those are powerful words, and I know from personal experience…forgiveness works. A few times in my life I’ve been greatly wronged and taken advantage of. My first reaction, of course, was anger and resentment. I held it for awhile and felt my stomach tie up in knots, my appetite wane, and the joy slip out of my life. The quote from Ward provided the wake-up call I needed to forgive the person who had wronged me. It was like I had been playing the first half of a basketball game with three-pound steel shoes, and in the locker room the coach said, “Try these new Nikes in the second half.” Multiply that by ten and you’ll understand how great it feels to unload your “emotional baggage” through the power of forgiveness.
An excerpt from The Power of Attitude by Mac Anderson.