A Definition of Attitude-Day 06-25 Day Reading Challenge -Attitude is everything-Jeff Keller

 A Definition Of Attitude

Think of your attitude as the mental filter through which you experience the world. Some people see the world through the filter of optimism (the glass being half full) while others see life through a filter of pessimism (the glass being half empty). Let me give you some examples to explain the difference between a positive attitude and a negative attitude.

The person with the negative attitude thinks “I CAN’T.”

The person with the positive attitude thinks “I CAN.”

Attitudes are a

secret power working

24 hours a day,

for good or bad.

— Unknown

The person with the negative attitude dwells on problems.

The person with the positive attitude concentrates on solutions.

The person with the negative attitude finds fault with others.

The person with the positive attitude looks for the good in others.

The person with the negative attitude focuses on what’s missing.

The person with the positive attitude counts his or her blessings.

The person with the negative attitude sees limitations.

The person with the positive attitude sees possibilities.

I could go on and on with examples, but I’m sure you get the idea. When I talk to audiences about attitude, I often like to use word pictures. They help people to understand and remember what I said. Let me paint this picture for you:

Your attitude is your window to the world.

You can t always

control circumstances.

But you can control

your own thoughts.

— Charles Popplestone

Everyone Starts With A Clean Mental Window. Let’s take a few moments to discuss why I say that your attitude is your window to the world. We all start out in life with a good attitude — or, should I say, a clean mental window. Just watch young children. They’re always laughing and giggling. They have a sunny disposition. They love to explore new things. Consider the attitude of a child who’s learning to walk. When he stumbles and falls down, what does he do? I’ll tell you what he doesn’t do. He doesn’t frown or blame the carpet. He doesn’t point fingers at his mother or father for giving  him lousy instructions. He doesn’t quit. Oh, no. He smiles, gets up again and makes another attempt. And another. He keeps going for weeks and weeks with a positive attitude until he gets it right! His window is squeaky clean, and he feels like he can conquer the world.

But as you know, there comes a point where life starts throwing some dirt at our windows. And here’s what happens: Our windows get splattered by criticism from parents and teachers. Our windows get smudged by ridicule from peers. Our windows get smeared by rejection. Our windows get soiled by disappointments. Our windows get clouded by doubt.

The problem is, the dirt keeps building up, and all too many people do nothing about it. They continue to go through life with a filthy window. They lose their enthusiasm.They get frustrated and depressed. And most tragically, they give up on their dreams — all because they failed to clean their attitude window. That’s the road I was traveling down. I had a dirty window when I was an attorney. And the longer I stayed in that field, the filthier my window got. I saw no possibilities. How could I? My window was splattered with the mud of negativity.