What is the importance of attitude?
Every person, you included, wants to achieve more, earn more, find happiness, be successful and be fulfilled. At the root of all these elements is attitude.
Every person instinctively knows that. Yet most people don’t really possess a positive attitude. Oh, you may think you do, but I promise you don’t.
Most people don’t:
• read about attitude;
• study attitude;
• practice attitude;
• live the essence of attitude;
• exhibit the principles of attitude; or
• dedicate themselves to attitude.
In fact, you may have never read a book on the subject of attitude.
I believe I was born with a positive attitude, and I believe you were born with a positive attitude. It took 24 years for me to discover mine. I wonder if you have found yours yet.
Everyone has heard the expression, “attitude is everything.”
Let me break down the elements of that expression for you – maybe for the first time. Attitude controls, rules, affects and directs your career, your family life, your personal life and you. It affects or can impact your relationships, your business success and your health.
Attitude has power, and the best part is, you control it. You determine the way you think about, develop and deliver your attitude.
Ever look out the window when it’s pouring rain, and think to yourself, “It’s going to be a rotten day?” Why don’t you walk away from the window where you can’t see outside and think about the day in terms of you, not the weather?
It’s the small wording of expressions like that, that lead to a “bad day” for anyone. A rotten day starts with the way you think about it and the way you talk about it. It’s not about the weather outside. It’s about the weather inside your mind.
One of the definitions of a positive attitude is the way you dedicate yourself to the way you think.
Thinking positive is a daily self-discipline. You control it. You make it happen - or not. Taking positive actions is dependent on positive thought. If you don’t think positive, you will not be positive and you will not do positive things.
There are many definitions of attitude and there are many ways to look at attitude.
Books like “Think and Grow Rich” contain the philosophies, strategies and the connected stories of men and women who have achieved their positive attitude – and can help you achieve yours. You should own them and read a few pages every day. (That’s one of the secrets of attitude: read and study attitude for 15 minutes a day). Positive attitude is yours for the taking. All you have to do is read, study and apply – every day.
The challenge of positive attitude is for you to decide that you’re willing to dedicate the time and that you have the desire to make it happen for yourself.
Jeffrey Gitomer, author of “The Little Red Book of Selling” and 11 other titles, is president of Charlotte, N.C.-based Buy Gitomer. He gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings and conducts Internet training programs on sales and customer service at Gitomer.com. He can be reached at salesman@gitomer.com.
