Attitude is a Choice

By Ryan DuBois

Cultivating the Right Attitude: The Key to Personal and Professional Success

In the journey toward self-improvement and leadership, the power of cultivating the right attitude stands paramount. Echoing this sentiment, John C. Maxwell reminds us,

"Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude. When facing an opponent of equal ability, the right attitude can give you the edge."

This highlights the transformative impact of our mindset on overcoming challenges and achieving success.

The Essence of a Winning Attitude

A winning mindset—characterized by positivity, confidence, and compassion—is at the heart of success. This isn't a trait that's passively acquired; it demands proactive cultivation. A healthy attitude is highly contagious but waiting passively to "catch" it from others is a strategy doomed to fail. It's imperative that we prioritize maintaining a positive attitude, not just in isolation, but in every interaction, be it at work or home.? Like Art Williams once said,

“A positive attitude is everything there is, plus everything there is, plus everything there is!”

The Reflective Nature of Attitude

Our attitudes create a mirror effect, reflecting back at us through the behavior and attitudes of those around us. This reflection can either propel us forward or hold us back, enhancing or destroying the momentum of an individual or group. Surveys often reveal a general dissatisfaction with jobs, pointing to a pervasive issue with attitude emanating from all levels within an organization. Recognizing the power of our mental state and its profound influence on our lives and those around us is the first step towards transformation.

Attitude is a Choice

Recognizing that attitude is a personal choice is both empowering and challenging. It suggests that despite the circumstances, we hold the power to shape our perspective and, by extension, our reality. As Maxwell and other thought leaders articulate, several truths underscore the importance of this choice:

1. Your Attitude is a Choice: Circumstances may be beyond your control, but your response, your attitude, is yours to define.
2. Maintain, Don't Regain: It's simpler to preserve a positive outlook than to recover it once lost. Cultivate positivity actively.
3. Action Follows Attitude: Your attitude is the precursor to your actions. A positive outlook can positively influence your life's trajectory more than any other factor.
4. Leadership Reflects Attitude: The demeanor of those you lead mirrors your own. Whether as a boss, parent, or volunteer, your attitude sets the tone for your team or family.

Echoing these sentiments, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson also recognized the profound impact of attitude. Lincoln advises,

"Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end, you are sure to succeed,"

while Jefferson asserts,

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."

This underscores the binary nature of attitude as either a powerful ally or a formidable barrier.

Embracing Attitude as a Choice: Actionable Steps

To embody the choice of a positive attitude, consider these actionable steps:

• Reflect and Decide: Start each day with a reflection on the type of attitude you choose to embody.
• Cultivate Gratitude and Positivity: Practice gratitude and surround yourself with positive influences to reinforce your choice.
• Lead by Example: Show the positive attitude you wish to see in others. Leadership is as much about influence as it is about direction.
• Learn from Challenges: View each obstacle as an opportunity to strengthen your positive attitude and resilience.

Supporting Your Journey: Recommended Reads

For those interested in delving deeper into the concept of attitude as a choice and its impact on personal and professional success, here are five recommended reads:

• "Attitude is Everything" by Jeff Keller

"What you have in your life is a reflection of your belief in what's possible."

Keller's book emphasizes the transformative power of attitude in achieving goals and overcoming challenges.

• "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."

This classic work explores the connection between thoughts, attitudes, and life's outcomes.

• "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck

"In a fixed mindset, you want to hide your flaws so you’re not judged or labeled a failure. In a growth mindset, your flaws are just a to-do list of things to improve."

Dweck introduces the concept of fixed vs. growth mindsets, highlighting the role of attitude in personal development.

• "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

Frankl's memoir underscores the ability to choose one's attitude even in the most challenging circumstances.

• "The Obstacle Is the Way" by Ryan Holiday

"The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition."

Holiday provides practical advice for turning obstacles into advantages through the right attitude.

Conclusion

Our path toward excellence is significantly shaped by our attitude. It’s a lens through which we interpret challenges, interact with others, and navigate our personal and professional lives. By choosing a positive attitude, we empower ourselves to lead lives of greater fulfillment and impact. This commitment to positivity is a continuous journey, requiring reflection, dedication, and adaptability.

Call to Action

Reflect on the role of attitude in your life. Are you choosing an outlook that serves your highest good and the good of your community? Commit to cultivating a positive attitude, and let's create a ripple effect of positivity in our worlds.

Committed to You, Committed to Excellence!

Coach DuBois

More to the story…

1. Attitude: The Power Within Your Grasp

"Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely." - Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

Actionable Takeaway: Each morning, decide how you will face the day's challenges. Write down a positive affirmation and repeat it throughout the day to reinforce a constructive mindset.

2. Cultivating a Winning Attitude

"We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude." - Charles R. Swindoll

Actionable Takeaway: Reflect on a recent challenge and identify how your attitude influenced the outcome. Commit to a small daily action that promotes a positive mindset, such as expressing gratitude for three things every evening.

3. The Impact of Attitude on Success

"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens." - Khalil Gibran

Actionable Takeaway: Set a goal for the week that challenges your usual attitude. Approach it with optimism and resilience. Journal the experience and its impact on your progress.

4. Leadership and Attitude

"The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude." - Oprah Winfrey

Actionable Takeaway: In your next team meeting, lead by example. Approach a common issue with a positive, solution-focused attitude and encourage others to do the same. Observe and discuss the outcome.

Why Share This Newsletter?

• Empower Others: Sharing knowledge is one of the most powerful ways to empower those we care about. By passing on these insights, you equip your loved ones with tools for success and happiness.
• Create a Supportive Community: As more of us embrace these principles, we cultivate a community of support, understanding, and encouragement—a network where everyone can thrive.
• Inspire Change: Each person who adopts a more positive attitude can influence countless others, inspiring change on a scale beyond what we might imagine.

How to Share? Simply forward this newsletter to those who matter in your life, or share it on your social media with a personal note about how adopting a positive attitude has made a difference for you. Use the hashtag #AttitudeIsAChoice to join a broader conversation and see how others are making an impact.

Your Voice Matters We'd love to hear from you and your loved ones about the journey with positivity. Share your stories, insights, and experiences with us. Let's inspire and uplift each other, growing stronger together.

Let's Spread Positivity Together Remember, every significant change starts with a single step. Let's take that step together today and spread a message of hope, resilience, and positivity. Share this newsletter and let's embark on this transformative journey together.

Together, we can change the world, one positive attitude at a time.

Let's go!

Coach DuBois