Each and every day can be a jump start towards getting everything you want out of life when you incorporate an attitude of discipline.

An Attitude of Discipline is greeting each day with gratitude. When you wake up in the morning, you are granted another day closer to living your dreams. Simply waking up each day is a poignant reason to be grateful. So many people will not wake up today.

An attitude of gratefulness is a daily discipline. Embrace an attitude of gratitude and notice how you speak differently using powerful words and how your body language greatly improves. For instance when asked how you are, what is your typical reply?

Common responses are: fine, good, ok, not bad, etc. However, with a radiant attitude of gratitude you will draw on stronger words such as: excellent, fantastic, great, etc. In addition, body language speaks louder than words. Therefore, your body language proudly highlights the jubilant words.

An attitude of gratitude becomes an attitude of discipline with practice and daily implementation. Projecting a continuous attitude of discipline will ensure you feel better about yourself and in turn, increase your self respect, self confidence and self worth. Total your attributes and you yield your net worth.

Attitude is 100% within your control. Attitude is a product of your beliefs. Your attitude is a reflection of your thoughts and self talk. You must be exceedingly aware of your daily thoughts, your internal debate and justly discipline your attitude in a precise manner.

Discipline is a commitment to the most important person in the world. It means doing what you have to do even when you do not want to do it. Discipline and attitude are 100% within your control.

By combining attitude and discipline, you acquire an attitude of discipline equal to a 200% increase in your overall performance. You are definitely on the path to living the life you so desire.

Any behavior that is recognized or rewarded gets repeated. If you recognize your tangible attitude and reward it accordingly, this progressive attitude gets repeated.

True discipline is being highly aware of your inner conversation and thoughts and rewarding yourself for that appropriate attitude. This is ultimate discipline and the gratifying attitude will be repeated time and time again.

The problem in today's society is most people are not aware of their attitude and possess little discipline. They tend to reward themselves without cause.

If you associate recognition and reward with behavior whether it is appropriate or inappropriate, it usually is repeated.

One of many daily disciplines is waking up with an attitude of gratitude. Live the life you crave by diligently working to develop an attitude of discipline. Another important daily discipline is knowing your most productive time of the day.

Once you know your most productive time of day, dedicate at least one hour of that most productive time to the most important person in the world - You?

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Your attitude drives your altitude – in business and in life. You can’t change someone else’s attitude for them. But this powerful adage is a great reminder that you can put in front of anyone who requires an attitude adjustment. I want to discuss a few of the many ways each of us can develop a winning attitude each day. It’s what leaders do.

Marcus Aurelius, the great philosopher who ruled the Roman Empire, said it simply: "Our life is what our thoughts make it".

Dale Carnegie, speaking to that quote said: "Yes, if we think happy thoughts, we will be happy. If we think miserable thoughts, we will be miserable. If we think fear thoughts, we will be fearful. If we think sickly thoughts we probably will be ill. If we think failure, we will certainly fail. If we wallow in self-pity, everyone will want to shun us and avoid us".

Am I advocating a Pollyanna attitude toward all our problems? No. Life isn’t that simple. But I am advocating – in the strongest terms – that we take on a positive attitude instead of a negative one.

Mental attitude - the power we hold in our heads. Real life can be changed dramatically by a single thought. In nutrition the adage is you are what you eat. In terms of leadership, it’s more likely you are what you think. Counter to what people want to believe, outside influences don’t usually drive your happiness or success, rather it is how we react to those influences – good or bad. So how do you alter your reactions to those outside forces?

Make how you react a conscious priority, which means practice daily.

Humor is vital. When things are going south, keep everything in perspective and relax. I laugh. Others throw up their hands. Whole industries get very cynical.

Positive self-confident feelings not only help you get more; they also make others want to be associated with you. People are drawn to others who have an energetic outlook, who have a can-do attitude. Constant nay sayers don’t collect an easy following.

One of a leader’s most important jobs is to set a positive and self-confident tone, show the attitude that failure is not an option. A positive attitude is the cornerstone of leadership. It’s the same confidence that a quarterback, a golfer, or a gymnast projects every time they come out of the locker room.

To obtain strength from the positive and not be sapped by the negative, here are a few ideas:

Focus on the 90% of your team who will run with your outlook and your plan - don't let the "negative nellies" drown you or contaminate your team.

Tap your spiritual essence at work too - use your spirit and your heart to guide you and your work forward.

Break the negative energy cycle – if you see yourself spiraling down or in a rut, mix it up, breakup the routine and do something fast that lifts you up. When you see one of your staff members in a rut of unproductive or unprofessional behavior fix it, don’t let it fester.

Active listening – takes time. Work at it, to hear what your staff wants. Many times just by being heard, problems can go away and people really make a big turnaround.

You must be the emotional manager of your office - not your assistant, not the new young blood you just hired. In a family, parents must be the emotional managers or chaos rules the home. In your business, you must manage it, albeit reluctantly at times. It’s part of your leadership duty and power. Refine it, as well as your attitude to external events, and you’ll see the culture around you shift to the positive.

Jim Collins points out in Good to Great: When in doubt, don’t hire – keep looking. You can’t grow revenues consistently faster than your ability to get enough of the right people to implement that growth and still become a fabulous company. So unless candidates for the open position have that can-do attitude and are a strong fit for your company in who they are – don’t hire them. The skills can be taught; the over the top positive attitude cannot.

Someone put it recently: "The prerequisite is attitude. Attitude is the one thing we can’t change in employees. You’ve got a good attitude or you don’t. Given adequate ability and desire to learn, everything else can be taught to employees with good attitudes. I have tried many times to teach good attitudes and have come to the conclusion it is about as easy as making a mud fence."

A negative attitude will drag you down and with it your professional results. A positive attitude will pull you over the rough spots and energize you to lift your results to new heights – to match your vision. Whether you need an attitude adjustment a million times a day, once a week or only once in a while, never forget that your attitude determines your altitude. Don’t let outside people or events bring yours down.

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're absolutely right. Henry Ford

Attitude is the key success factor and the foundation to your success.

What is attitude? Attitude is your way of thinking or behaving.

Your attitude towards people influences your behavior towards them. Your attitude affects your level of satisfaction with your life and with your job. Your attitude affects everyone who comes into contact with you.

Your attitude is reflected in your tone of voice, posture and facial expressions. Your attitude can affect your health. It is your attitude that will make the biggest difference in your life—particularly when it comes to what you want to be, to do or to have.

Your past and present are a result of your past attitude. However, your present attitude will determine your future. Right now, you are the author of your future.

Attitude is the "advance man" of our true selves. Its roots are inward, based on past experiences, but its fruit is outward. It is our best friend or our worst enemy. It is more honest and more consistent than our words. It is a thing that either draws people to us or repels them. It is never content until it is expressed.

Attitude is the librarian of our past, the speaker of our present, and the prophet of our future. Yet, your attitude is within whose control?

The greatest thing about attitude is that it is not fixed and it is 100 percent within your control. Your attitude is up to you, as is your future!

Your beliefs, based on past experiences and what you have let in from the outside world, determine your attitude. Your attitude will determine how you feel. How you feel determines the actions you take and the ultimate results that you get in life.

The first thing to do is to review your beliefs. You are now an adult and should be able to distinguish between fact and fiction—what do you really believe about you? What is real and what is not? Only you can change your beliefs.

How you see yourself, your self-worth, your self-esteem and your self-confidence is all part of your attitude. How you are perceived by others can influence your attitude, as it has in the past. That is external influence. If you accept that influence, whether it is positive or negative, you will let it affect you internally.

However, if you become aware of those external influences and decide to lead from within, you start to take control of your attitude.

Here are a few simple questions to help you improve your attitude:

How do you feel about your attitude based on a scale 1-10: 1 being poor and 10 being excellent?

Why did you rate yourself like that?

What must you do to be a 10?

Remember, your attitude in 100% within your control and you can make your attitude whatever you want.

How do you measure success? Is it by financial security, career growth, community involvement, quality of relationships, spiritual centeredness or the legacy you leave? Whichever measure you choose, your attitude is the single most important factor in achieving success.

The topic of attitude can be conceptual and confusing. In fact, as we go through life we often hear phrases like: "keep your chin up," "look on the bright side" or "you need a winning attitude." Unfortunately, we seldom know how to convert these soft sayings into hard results.

This book translates the incomprehensible into the actionable. It is intended to provide you with inspiration and application so you can orchestrate your attitude..... and your success.

The great news is that even in the worst situations - a victim of a natural disaster, prisoner of war, target of abuse or when hit by a string of unfortunate circumstances - your attitude is something you can always control!

When we control our attitude we influence how our body responds and performs. Where our thoughts and attitudes go, our bodies follow. For example, blushing is a physical reaction to a mere thought. If we have this kind of reaction to a thought, is it such a leap of faith to believe that we can orchestrate our attitudes to affect our bodies in beneficial ways?

In fact, a positive attitude can buffer us against some adverse health effects and depression. Researchers who studied 839 patients over a 30-year period found a link between optimism and lower risk of early death. Specifically, optimism early in life predicts good health later in life.

Additionally, a landmark study shed light on the ultimate benefit of a positive attitude. In this particular study, participants who were more positive lived an average of 10 years longer than the other participants. Considering that smoking has been shown to reduce life expectancy by 5.5 years for men and 7 years for women, your attitude might be a health risk factor worth paying real attention to.

The choice of attitude is yours. Tomorrow you will become what you choose today.

Attitude: Concept or Concrete?

Have you ever thought about what makes you say things like: "that guy has a great attitude," or "boy, her attitude is really killing the team?" How do you know if someone's attitude is great or crummy? When most of us hear the word "attitude" we think of a fuzzy concept that somehow makes us happy, sad, content or frustrated.

It is difficult to measure and manage a concept. However, it's easier to manage and measure behavior. That's why I will use a broad definition of attitude: a relatively stable and enduring way to behave. This definition and the following explanation are designed to help you get your mind around the concept of attitude. If we can translate a concept like attitude into concrete behaviors, then we can more easily manage and measure - orchestrate - our attitudes.

How Do Attitudes Develop?

Our attitudes develop from repeatedly thinking, speaking and acting the same way, over and over, until it becomes a stable and enduring way we behave - a habit. Although we can hear and see our attitudes in the words and actions we choose, attitudes start developing with our thoughts.

Our minds are our ultimate personal computers! What we program into them determines how they will function. The most powerful computer ever made, programmed with the wrong software or with bad data, will never function to its capacity. For instance, just as we have viruses (bad data) in today's cyber world that cause computer malfunctions, our mental computers are also susceptible to the data we put into them. If we choose to load them with bad data, it will limit how effective or successful we will be.

Our attitude is our personal boomerang to the world - whatever we throw out will come back to us. Express enthusiasm and it comes back. Offer a smile and it is returned. Start to gossip and that's what we will hear. Get frustrated about a team member and that's what we will see. Help a colleague and we will find a helping hand. This boomerang effect holds true for our thoughts about money, relationships, self-worth, a performance goal, team building, a problem colleague or customer, a new project or career.

So, once we develop a habit of choosing a positive or negative attitude, that is exactly what we will send to and receive from the world.

Choice: Reaction or Response?

The power of choice is one of the greatest gifts we are given. In fact, it is so important that the privilege of choice is removed from prison inmates as a form of punishment. Although we make many choices every hour of the day, we rarely make neutral choices. Each choice has a positive or negative consequence for us at some level.

Our attitude toward life is the most important choice we make! Let's look at why such a simple choice - embracing a positive or negative attitude - is more challenging than it appears for many people. The bottom line is that we often forget that we have the power to choose. We relinquish it subconsciously, because we make thousands of decisions daily - about 95% of them are subconscious.

Just think of the last time you were in deep thought about your plans for the evening while driving home from work. As you pull into your driveway you wonder to yourself, "How did I get home?" The car seemed to practically drive itself home. Driving is a relatively complex task, requiring many choices along the way - turn right, turn left, slow down, stop and change lanes. Still, driving home can be successfully performed almost subconsciously. So, consider the multitude of much smaller choices we make each day that we don't really think about: waking up, brushing our teeth, saying "good morning" to a colleague, eating our lunch, performing a repetitive job duty and so on. Subconscious actions are useful most of the time, but we must also consciously choose our attitude in order to control our results.

Our ability to choose is a gift, but it is also a huge responsibility. No matter what today's ‘it's not my fault' culture encourages, we are all ultimately responsible for our own choices. In fact, I like to write the word "responsibility" as response - ability. As humans, we have the unique ability to respond. It is a choice we make, although many times an instantaneous or subconscious choice.

Here's a scenario repeated daily. Family dinners are important at the Smith house. Jim and Jane Smith and their two children (Jonnie, age 3 and Janie, age 4) have just seated themselves at the table. Before the first bite of dinner is enjoyed, Jonnie spills his milk and it goes everywhere.

A reaction to this event: "Not again, Jonnie! Every time we eat, this happens. Think, son, think! Do you want to eat in your room from now on?"

A response to this event: "Uh Oh, Jonnie. Let's get a sponge and clean this up so you can eat your dinner."

When you react, you make a purely emotional and subconscious decision. Often, because of how your experiences and prior choices have programmed your subconscious mind, your reactions do not help you achieve the best results.

On the other hand, when you respond to a situation, you make a constructive and conscious decision. That's why there are Emergency Response Teams not Emergency Reaction Teams:

- When you simply react, your emotional instinct is in control, with little thought of the long-range consequences.

- When you respond, your brain is fully engaged and your self-awareness is high. You have the long-term consequences in mind.

We all experience plenty of negative situations and people. The key is to be prepared to consciously respond to these negative inputs. Choosing to respond instead of react helps us to positively orchestrate our attitudes....and our lives.

A Script for Orchestrating Attitude

There are three aspects of the script that work in concert: thoughts, words and actions. By orchestrating each aspect with conscious responses, we positively influence our beliefs, commitments and results.

Orchestrate your THOUGHTS to nfluence BELIEFS.....

Orchestrate your WORDS to influence your COMMITMENTS Orchestrate your ACTIONS to influence your RESULTS

The script plays out like this:

- Thoughts, the way we choose to interpret our world, directly influence our beliefs.

- Beliefs directly influence the words we choose to peak to others, and more importantly, to ourselves.

- Words reflect our commitments to ourselves and others.

- Commitments influence our choice of actions.

- Finally, our actions directly influence the results we achieve.

This script is self-reinforcing, for better or for worse. The results we achieve reinforce our thoughts and the same script is played out again. So, it all starts with our thoughts. Our thoughts today influence our results tomorrow.

The left side of the script is the side of choice. Each of us chooses our thoughts, words and actions either consciously or subconsciously. Therefore, we influence the right side of the script - the side of responsibility. We must take responsibility for our beliefs, commitments and results. We are each responsible for the choices we make and the results we ultimately achieve. The ultimate choice is ours - victim or victor?

To illustrate how this script plays out, let's say I am given a new project to lead. I am confident that the prospects for this project are positive. Therefore, I start thinking about how to ensure its success and how I can measure the benefits of the project deliverables. I also think about my talented project team, knowing they will need to go above and beyond to achieve success on this project. My kick-off e-mail contains words like "excited," "opportunity," "talented team," "creative solutions" and "positive impact." My team members speak and react in kind, "boomeranging" my winning attitude back to me. Meetings are crisp, roles are clearly defined and decisions are made collaboratively, yet quickly.

The expected challenges, even the seemingly big ones, are handled professionally and swiftly because the team knows that failure is not an option, and there are many pathways to success. My thoughts and words have already predisposed the team to acting in alignment with my expectation of success. And our eventual success predisposes me to the same thoughts, words and actions on the next project. This is when the powerful, self-reinforcing script will be played again.

Orchestrating attitude creates a beautiful human symphony. The result is a person of integrity who gets the best from himself and others!

I am going to ask you to something very weird right now. First of all, I want you to listen to your thoughts. Now tell me, what thoughts fill your head? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Now let's say you are walking down the street with these thoughts. Do you think anyone who would meet you would be able to tell you whats on your mind?

The answer to number one is up to you. But, the answer number two can be pretty generic. Although people will not be able to tell you exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Here's another question. When you enter a party filled with friends, do they all fall silent as if something terrible had happened? Or does everybody there perk up as if waiting for something exciting to happen?

You know what? The answer to all these depends on your frame of mind.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects on your appearance, too - unless, of course, you are a great actor.

And it doesn't end there. Your attitude can also affect people around you.

The type of attitude you carry depends on you. It can be either positive or negative.

Positive thoughts have a filling effect. They are admittedly invigorating. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a sapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

We can also define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the world, more or less you have a negative attitude brewing up. However, if you choose to focus on the positive things, you are more likely carry a positive attitude.

You have much to gain from a very positive attitude. For one, studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. projecting a positive attitude also helps one to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others are around feel the same way.

A negative attitude, on the other hand, has, of course, an opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a twofold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to feature healthy thoughts. This is probably very hard to do nowadays since, all around us, the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. A study shows that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child, only one is positive. This is truly a saddening thought.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts, and you have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with children, spend some time telling jokes with friends. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing people mostly do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit by them, and listen to them. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

If positive attitude is really great, why do people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? One who carries a negative attitude may be actually sending a signal for attention. Before you get me wrong, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong itself. But dwelling on these thoughts for far too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn.

As always, if you are beset by troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, you will always have hope. Problems become something you can overcome.

You do not have much to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually retards aging, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every day. So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.

I am going to ask you something very unusual right now. First of all, I want you to listen to your thoughts. Now tell me, what thoughts fill your head? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Now let's say you are walking down the street with these thoughts. Do you think anyone would be able to tell you what's on your mind?

The answer to number one is up to you. But, the answer to number two can be pretty generic.

Although people will not be able to tell you exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Here's another question. When you enter a party filled with friends, do they all fall silent as if something terrible had happened? Or does everybody there perk up as if they're waiting for something exciting to happen?

You know what? The answer to all these depends on your state of mind.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects on your appearance, too - unless, of course, you are a great actor.

And it doesn't end there. Your attitude can also affect people the around you. The type of attitude you carry depends on you. It can be either positive or negative.

Positive thoughts have a filling effect. They are admittedly exhilarating. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a zapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

We can also define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the life, more or less you are fostering a negative attitude. However, if you choose to focus on the positive things, you are more likely carry a positive attitude.

You have much to gain from a very positive attitude. For one, studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. projecting a positive attitude also helps one to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others around you feel the same way.

On the other hand, a negative attitude, has the opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a two-fold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to maintain healthy thoughts. This is actually very hard to do nowadays since all around us the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. A study shows that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child,
only one is positive. This is truly a depressing thought.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts. You also have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with children, or spend some time telling jokes with friends. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing most people do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit with them, and listen to their thoughts and feelings. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

If positive attitude is really great, why do people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? One who carries a negative attitude may be actually sending a signal for attention.

So you don't misunderstand what I'm saying, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong itself. But dwelling on these thoughts for far too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn, but don't continually dwell on the subject or situation; change it!

If you are inundated with troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, it will always give you hope. Problems are something you can overcome.

You don't have anything to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually defers aging, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every
day. So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.

I am going to ask you to something very weird right now. First of all, I want you to listen to your thoughts. Now tell me, what thoughts fill your head? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Now let's say you are walking down the street with these thoughts. Do you think anyone who would meet you would be able to tell you what's on your mind?

The answer to number one is up to you. But, the answer number two can be pretty generic. Although people will not be able to tell you exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Here's another question. When you enter a party filled with friends, do they all fall silent as if something terrible had happened? Or does everybody there perk up as if waiting for something exciting to happen?

You know what? The answer to all these depends on your frame of mind.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects on your appearancen too, unless, of course, you are a great actor.

And it doesn't end there. Your attitude can also affect people around you.

The type of attitude you carry depends on you. It can be either positive or negative.

Positive thoughts have a filling effect. They are admittedly invigorating. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a sapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

We can also define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the world, more or less you have a negative attitude brewing up. However, if you choose to focus on the positive things, you are more likely carry a positive attitude.

You have much to gain from a very positive attitude. For one, studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. Projecting a positive attitude also helps one to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others are around feel the same way.

A negative attitude, on the other hand, has, of course, an opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a twofold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to feature healthy thoughts. This is probably very hard to do nowadays since, all around us, the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. A study shows that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child, only one is positive. This is truly a saddening thought.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts, and you have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with children, spend some time telling jokes with friends. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing people mostly do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit by them, and listen to them. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

If positive attitude is really great, why do people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? One who carries a negative attitude may be actually sending a signal for attention. Before you get me wrong, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong itself. But dwelling on these thoughts for far too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn.

As always, if you are beset by troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, you will always have hope. Problems become something you can overcome.

You do not have much to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually retards aging, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every day. So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.

I am going to ask you to something very weird right now. First of all, I want you to listen to your thoughts. Now tell me, what thoughts fill your head? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Now let's say you are walking down the street with these thoughts. Do you think anyone who would meet you would be able to tell you what's on your mind?

The answer to number one is up to you. But, the answer number two can be pretty generic. Although people will not be able to tell you exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Here's another question. When you enter a party filled with friends, do they all fall silent as if something terrible had happened? Or does everybody there perk up as if waiting for something exciting to happen?

You know what? The answer to all these depends on your frame of mind.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects on your appearancen too, unless, of course, you are a great actor.

And it doesn't end there. Your attitude can also affect people around you.

The type of attitude you carry depends on you. It can be either positive or negative.

Positive thoughts have a filling effect. They are admittedly invigorating. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a sapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

We can also define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the world, more or less you have a negative attitude brewing up. However, if you choose to focus on the positive things, you are more likely carry a positive attitude.

You have much to gain from a very positive attitude. For one, studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. Projecting a positive attitude also helps one to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others are around feel the same way.

A negative attitude, on the other hand, has, of course, an opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a twofold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to feature healthy thoughts. This is probably very hard to do nowadays since, all around us, the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. A study shows that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child, only one is positive. This is truly a saddening thought.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts, and you have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with children, spend some time telling jokes with friends. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing people mostly do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit by them, and listen to them. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

If positive attitude is really great, why do people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? One who carries a negative attitude may be actually sending a signal for attention. Before you get me wrong, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong itself. But dwelling on these thoughts for far too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn.

As always, if you are beset by troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, you will always have hope. Problems become something you can overcome.

You do not have much to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually retards aging, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every day. So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.

Attitude: Looking for gold!

The single most important indicator of success, attitude!

Is your "attitude" a reflection of your career or business or is it that your "career or business" are a reflection of your "attitude?"

Like it or not you do have an attitude, and what you have today is a reflection of your attitude.

Would you change your attitude if you could?

In a busy world it can be difficult to change. If you are like so many others making time for yourself is a challenge.

The idea of changing one more thing is like attempting the "impossible!" It's not going to happen. So why even bother?

Why would anyone, especially you, consider changing your attitude?

For me the single most noticeable trait I see in others who are living the quality of life I want, is "ATTITUDE!"

Being around people who have a winning attitude is a completely different experience. I can honestly say that it is an experience that inspires me.

It is an experience that leaves me thinking "I want what they have!" "I want a better life!"

I want to enjoy the rewards of having such an attitude. Don't you?

I want to enjoy the fruits of being the person with a "winning attitude."

What is it that stops you or I from having the attitude we want?

Time

Money

Job

Education

Family

Exhaustion

You name it! I am sure there is something that you feel you must have "before you can have the attitude you want."

Regardless of your reason there is a way that you can make this change and it won't take the commitment of a monk to make it happen.

Consider this, recognizing that you want to change only takes a moment. To make a lasting change takes time. How much time? That depends on you.

Like cars some of us are built for speed, some are built for long trips, and others are lucky to make it around the block without stalling.

It really only matters that you recognize, you want something different! Are you satisfied with what you have?

There are 7 things you should know about attitude and I am going to share with you the first step to changing your attitude.

Before I go any further let's talk about why this really matters. I mean is attitude really that important?

Without a "winning attitude" you will never take the action(s) that will give you the career or business you want!

Without a "winning attitude" your life will be average at best. If average is enough then there is no need to read any further. Average simply isn't enough for me.

It is hard to imagine that anyone has never heard Nike's slogan "Just Do It!" Their ads speak to attitude. You can feel the energy and the powerful expression of those who simply make up their mind to "Just Do It!"

The Nike ads are filled with "attitude." An attitude that compels one to act. An attitude that compels one to win, to do more, to be more, and finally to be all they can be.

Attitude drives action. Attitude determines which actions you will or won't take.

Still, having the attitude you want, can feel like grabbing a fist full of sand and trying to keep the sand from spilling.

The bottomline: Attitude is an outcome. Until you have a winning attitude, possibility will continue avoid you.

Attitude is like money, for most it is elusive. Each are elusive because they are result of the who, what, and where of your life. They are a result of "YOU!"

People will shortcut their way to money only to find that happiness, the only reason they really wanted money in the first place, is still missing.

Attitude isn't any different. A winning attitude requires a real change to be lasting and meaningful.

Have you ever said to yourself "I must be positive" or "I've got to stop being like this" or something similar? If you have, then you understand that willpower and affirmations are not enough.

Faking it until you make it isn't enough. You know it, and the people around you know it as well. Eveyone knows what you are trying to do and they also know "this too will end."

If you want to make a lasting change in your attitude, it has to start with "YOU!" "Understanding you" is key!

Change your understanding of you and you will change your attitude.

Where do you start? You start with awareness. You "turn-off your auto-pilot" and become an "active participant in YOUR LIFE!"

1. Stop accepting that life is just that way.
2. Before you say no, ask yourself "why not?"
3. Pay attention to what you feel: ask yourself does this feel good?
4. Begin to ask yourself questions like: "Is this what I want?" or "Is this really the choice I want to make?"
5. Keep a 3x5 spiral notepad and pen or pencil with you throughout your day and begin to write down those thoughts that bubble up during your day.

Don't let life's distractions continue to keep you in the dark. Isn't it time you started to "understand you?"

Isn't is time you lived the life you want?

Until you know what you are dealing with i.e. "who you are" attitude will be like trying to hold a fist full of sand.

What you have today is a result of the attitude you have had up to this point, i.e. your past.

I can tell you this: It doesn't matter how many times you have tried, "you CAN make a lasting change."

You can make a change that will result in an attitude that will transform your career or business.

If you have been trying to do it alone and it hasn't worked then maybe it is time you started looking for other ways to make it happen.

Having a "winning attitude" is like walking around with a gold mine in your back pocket. Knowing that you can do anything is "priceless!"

Be Bold, Be Extraordinary, Be YOU!

James B. Smith

Copyright © 2006 James B. Smith, All Rights Reserved

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