There are five morals:
1. When our attitude is right, we realize that we are all walking on acres
and acres of diamonds.
• Attributed to Dr Russel Conwell .
• Opportunity is always under our feet. We don't have to go anywhere. All
we need to do is recognize it.
2. The grass on the other side always looks greener.
3. While we are dyeing the grass on the other side, there are others who
are dyeing the grass on our side. They would be happy to trade places
with us.
4. When people don't know how to recognize opportunity, they complain
of noise when it knocks.
5. The same opportunity never knocks twice. The next one may be
better or worse, but it is never the same one.
DAVID AND GOLIATH
We all know the story of David and Goliath. There was a giant who
was bullying and harassing the children in the village. One day, a 17-
year-old shepherd boy came to visit his brothers and asked, "Why
don't you stand up and fight the giant?" The brothers were terrified and
they replied, "Don't you see he is too big to hit?" But David said, "No,
he is not too big to hit, he is too big to miss." The rest is history. We all
know what happened. David killed the giant with a sling. Same giant,
different perception.
There are primarily three factors that determine our attitude. They are:
1. environment
2. experience
3. education
1. Environment
Environment consists of the following:
Home: positive or negative influences
School: peer pressure
Work: supportive or over critical supervisor
Media: television, newspapers, magazines, radio, movies
Cultural background
Religious background
Traditions and beliefs
Social environment
Political environment
HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE PEOPLE WITH A POSITIVE
ATTITUDE?
Just like an absence of ill health does not equal good health, an
absence of negativity alone does not make a person positive.
People with positive attitudes have certain personality traits that are
easy to recognize. They are caring, confident, patient, and humble.
They have high expectations of themselves and others. They
anticipate positive outcomes. A person with a positive attitude is like a
fruit of all seasons. He is always welcome .
THE BENEFITS OF A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
These are many and easy to see. But what is easy to see is also easy
to miss. To mention a few, a positive attitude
increases productivity
fosters teamwork
solves problems
improves quality
makes for congenial atmosphere
breeds loyalty
increases profits
fosters better relationships with employers, employees, and customers
reduces stress
helps a person become a contributing member of society and an asset to
their country
makes for a pleasing personality
THE CONSEQUENCES OF A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE
Our life is an obstacle course and we become our own biggest obstacle by
having a negative attitude. People with a negative attitude have a hard time
keeping friendships, jobs, marriage and relationships. Their attitude leads to
bitterness
resentment
a purposeless life
ill health
high stress level for themselves and others
They create a negative environment at home and work and become a liability to
society. They also pass on their negative behavior to others around them and to
future generations.
WHEN WE BECOME AWARE OF OUR NEGATIVE ATTITUDE, WHY
DON'T WE CHANGE?
Human nature generally resists change. Change is uncomfortable.
Regardless of its positive or negative effect, change can be stressful.
Sometimes we get so comfortable with our negativity that even when
the change is for the positive, we don't want to accept it. We stay with
the negative.
Charles Dickens wrote about a prisoner who stayed for many years in
a dungeon. After serving his sentence, he got his freedom. He was
brought out from his cell into the bright daylight of the open world. This
man looked all around and after a few moments was so uncomfortable
with his newly acquired freedom that he asked to be brought back to
his cell into confinement. To him, the dungeon, the chains and the
darkness were more secure and comfortable than accepting the
change of freedom and the open world.
STEPS TO BUILDING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
During childhood, we form attitudes that last a lifetime. Undoubtedly, it would be
a lot easier and better to have acquired a positive attitude during our formative
years. Does that mean if we acquire a negative attitude, whether by design or by
default, we are stuck with it? Of course not. Can we change? Yes. Is it easy?
Absolutely not.
How do you build and maintain a positive attitude?
Become aware of the principles that build a positive attitude
Desire to be positive
Cultivate the discipline and dedication to practice those principles
Step 1: Change Focus, Look for the Positive
We need to become good finders. We need to focus on the positive in
life. Let's start looking for what is right in a person or situation instead
of looking for what is wrong. Because of our conditioning, we are so
attuned to finding fault and looking for what is wrong that we forget to
see the positive picture.
Even in paradise, fault finders will find faults. Most people find what
they are looking for. If they are looking for friendship, happiness and
the positive, that is what they get. If they are looking for fights or
indifference, then that is what they get. Caution looking for the positive
does not mean overlooking faults.
LOOKING FOR THE GOLD
As a young Scots boy, Andrew Carnegie came to America and started doing odd
jobs. He ended up as one of the largest steel manufacturers in the United States.
At one time he had 43 millionaires working for him. Several decades ago, a
million dollars used to be a lot of money; even today it is a lot of money.
Someone asked Mr. Carnegie how he dealt with people? Andrew Carnegie
replied, "Dealing with people is like digging gold: When you go digging for an
ounce of gold, you have to move tons of dirt to get an ounce of gold. But when
you go digging, you don't go looking for the dirt, you go looking for the gold."
Someone once said that even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
SOME PEOPLE ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE NEGATIVE
There was a hunter who bought a bird dog, the only one of its kind in
the world. That could walk on water . He couldn't believe his eyes
when he saw this miracle. At the same time, he was very pleased that
he could show off his new acquisition to his friends. He invited a friend
to go duck hunting. After some time, they shot a few ducks and the
man ordered his dog to run and fetch the birds. All day-long, the dog
ran on water and kept fetching the birds. The owner was expecting a
comment or a compliment about his amazing dog, but never got one.
As they were returning home, he asked his friend if he had noticed
anything unusual about his dog. The friend replied, "Yes, in fact, I did
notice something unusual. Your dog can't swim."
Some people always look at the negative side. Who is pessimist?
Pessimists
are unhappy when they have no troubles to speak
feel bad when they feel good, for fear they will feel worse when they feel
better
spend most of their life at complaint counters
always turn out the lights to see how dark it is
are always looking for cracks in the mirror of life
stop sleeping in bed when they hear that more people die in bed than
anywhere else
cannot enjoy their health because they think they may be sick tomorrow
not only expect the worst but make the worst of whatever happens
don't see the doughnut, only the hole
believe that the sun shines only to cast shadows
forget their blessings and count their troubles
know that hard work never hurts anyone but believe "why take a chance?"
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
Make all your friends feel there is something in them.
Look at the sunny side of everything.
Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the
best.
Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about
your own.
Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater
achievements of the future.
Give everyone a smile.
Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left
to criticize others.
Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.*
Step 2: Make a Habit of Doing It Now
Some people practice procrastination by hiding behind high
sounding words, saying "I'm analyzing" and six months later they
are still analyzing. What they don't realize is that they are
suffering from a disease called, "Paralysis of Analysis" and they
will never succeed.
The saddest words in life are:
"It might have been."
"I should have."
"I could have."
"I wish I had."
"If only I had given a little extra."
♦♦♦♦♦
Step 3: Develop an Attitude of Gratitude
Step 4: Get into a Continuous Education Program
