5 Attitudes Our World Needs More Of
When I was in 8th grade my teacher made us read the book "The Winning Attitude" by John Maxwell. I'll never forget one of the illustrations he used to describe the difference that attitude makes, when he talked about an instrument called the attitude indicator on an airplane that determines whether the aircraft is climbing or descending. Our attitudes are no different in our lives. They are either going up or going down. And with that in mind, it is vital to remember that every attitude starts with a choice.[quote align="center" color="#999999"]Every attitude starts with a choice.[/quote]Our world is in need of many things. As we look at all of the challenges around us, it can be easy to point blame, grow discouraged or even through our hands up in surrender, declaring that we give up. No matter who you are, what you do or where you are from, the truth is that YOUR attitude makes a difference. [quote align="center" color="#999999"]Your circumstances don't make your attitude, they create the environment of choice for your attitude.[/quote]Here are 5 Attitudes that our world needs MORE of:ATTITUDE 1: IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.
In a world that is built and centered on self, isolation and anonymity, we need more people who will live a life that says, "IT'S NOT ABOUT ME." The challenge with this attitude is that it works against all of our default settings. Every child we have has been born with an "IT'S ALL ABOUT ME" perspective. Daily, we have to make the choice that it isn't and it won't be about us. Easy? No. Worth it? YES!
ATTITUDE 2: HELP ME UNDERSTAND.
Have you noticed that it is easy to have an opinion from a distance? Honestly, I think opinions are cheap. It doesn't cost anything. What is valuable is having an attitude that wants to understand other people and their stories. Instead of living a life that blasts all of our opinions in conversations, social media posts and personal interactions, what would life look like if we stopped and embraced the attitude that asks, "Help me understand."
ATTITUDE 3: WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT!
I love being around hopeful people! Don't you? There has never been a person that I have met that wakes up and says, "I want to be more like Eeyore from Winnie the Poo!" But you and have have met more real life Eeyore's than we care to admit. I don't believe the answer is a false sense of 'everything-is-peachy-leave-it-to-beaver' mindset. No one wants phony. There is something valuable, however, when we encounter someone who will look at the realities as real, and still have this gut level confidence that screams "WE GOT THIS!"
ATTITUDE 4: HOW CAN I HELP?
So much could change if more were willing to live through serving others. This is what leadership is about. If everyone has answers to the problem, but no one is willing to get their hands dirty in solving the problem, the problem will never change. Asking this question helps us to get our focus off our what we want and need and onto becoming a solution to someone else's need. I believe we never lose when we help someone else.
ATTITUDE 5: TODAY, I AM GOING TO GET BETTER
None of us has the luxury of going back and re-doing yesterday or the past. What each of us can do is determine that we are going to make today count by getting better. Learn something new. Grow. Be a friend to someone. This attitude breaks us out of apathy and living with a victim mindset.
I've only listed five. What attitudes would you include? What do you believe our world needs MORE of? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!