1/15/05

Positive Attitudes to Cultivate

Attitude - everybody has one, good or bad; often a combination of both. Attitude is the way you feel about something, your frame of mind, your disposition. Attitudes can make you or break you.

Attitude affects everything you do. Attitude affects who you are, what you do and who you become. The right attitude is a tool to make your relationships more equal. It is not “getting your way”, not “getting back at”, not “one-up-man-ship”, not “one-down-man-ship”, not “manipulation”, but equality, a balance of power. Attitudes are choices. A healthy attitude toward yourself and others allows you to make changes and to request change without demanding.

Here are some positive attitudes to cultivate. Check the ones you frequently use and place a star by the ones you want to work on developing.

__ positive expectancy - look for the silver lining and anticipate something good is going to happen

__ positive reality - see the roses and the thorns; appreciate the beauty and respect the danger

__ positive motivation - dwell on rewards of success not penalty of failure

__ positive discipline - TNT - today, not tomorrow powerfully eliminates procrastination and dread

__ positive esteem - realize you are a person of innate worth, value and dignity, with gifts and talents

__ positive awareness - be open-minded, objective and have a learner's spirit

__ positive image – it is not who you are that holds you back, but who you think you are; see yourself as successful and bring that picture into reality

__ positive direction – be goals oriented and continually steer toward them

__ positive dimension – healthy self love and a willingness to give of yourself to others

__ positive respect – choose to give respect to others while earning respect from others; display manners and consideration and have faith in yourself and others

__ positive reverence – see the preciousness of the wondrous gift of life and yield rights

__ positive humility – humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less

__ positive control – be in control of your thoughts, actions, emotions, choices, responses, your life!

In Paradise Lost, John Milton wrote, “The mind is its own place and can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven.” Regardless of what your words say, your choice shows through your attitude.

“With the right mental attitude, all the problems in the world will not make
you a failure. With the wrong mental attitude, all the help in the world
will not make you a success.” Warren Deaton

“Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself; ‘I, not events, have the power to
make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead,
tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I am going to be
happy in it.” - Groucho Marx

Mona Dunkin, owner of Solution Principles, is a professional speaker, trainer, and personal success coach. She can be reached at 254-749-6594, or visit www.monadunkin.com.

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