ATTITUDE "a day to start with"

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company (Society)... a Mosque (Faith)... a home(Relations). The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will 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. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.

A positive attitude can make a difference in how successful and happy you are in life; however, sometimes it is hard to keep a positive attitude. Attitude is your state of mind when you approach a person or situation. It can range from positive to negative. Others can tell a great deal about your attitude by the way you:

Look — Are you smiling or frowning?
Sound — Is the tone of your voice friendly or hostile?
Behave — Are you a conscientious or a careless worker?

YOU are the one who determines your attitude and its effect on others. Why is attitude so important? Because how you feel about your life affects how well you do it and how partners feel about living with you!

We all like to be winners. It's human nature that we want to succeed. We enjoy feeling like we have made a contribution, and that we are needed and liked. Don't let anyone fool you though—it takes hard work and a positive attitude to be a winner. People who enjoy their life and succeed are generally enthusiastic, willing to try their best, optimistic about challenges, efficient, and cooperative. These people have a winning spirit that puts them ahead of the game!

Your self-esteem also affects your attitude. It's how you see yourself as a person. If you value the type of person you are, you have a good sense of self-esteem. You're proud to be you! Self-esteem is not the same as being selfish or self-centered. People with high self-esteem respect others as well as themselves.

People who have negative attitudes stand to lose a lot. They are usually careless and don't care how their attitude affects others. They are easily discouraged, without goals, frequently absent, unable to solve problems or take risks, and unwilling to seek new challenges. A bad attitude can hold you back at work and make life—for you and others—miserable.

People with low self-esteem are their own worst enemies. They don't give themselves a chance to succeed, and they don't think they have the power to change. These people often put themselves down, fear failure, take the easy way out, and resist change.

The good news is that you can improve your self-esteem. It helps to spend time with others who feel good about themselves because a positive attitude is contagious! To improve your attitude, self-esteem, and job satisfaction, follow these tips:

Think positively.
Understand the demands of life and perform efficiently.
Set ambitious goals for yourself.
Get to know people.
Trust yourself and your perceptions.
Acknowledge the negatives, but don't dwell on them.

Once your attitude is right, you will lead by example. When the leader has a positive attitude, it rubs off on the whole team. Unfortunately, the same is true when a leader has a negative attitude. It's not enough to know the difference between a good and bad attitude though; you've got to put your knowledge into everyday action! Leading the way involves being dependable, courteous, honest, and conscientious. You must cooperate with others, show initiative, do tough assignments first, upgrade your skills, accept challenges, and try to solve problems.

Now that you know what a difference a positive attitude can make, I encourage you to use enthusiasm and a positive attitude to make a world of difference in your life.