Raise your hand if you think that ATTITUDE is a game changer in living a satisfied life. Who do you say that you are? Do you think that your attitude is dependent on the things around you going your way? Are you upbeat and happy only when life is smooth sailing? When you are in control? When your circumstances are lined up perfectly? Consider… does that make you a victim of outside forces that you may have no real control of?
What contributes to a happy attitude? Many decades ago, I had a little seashell pin with the word ‘ATTITUDE’ on it that I wore on my flight-attendant uniform. In spite of my current life situation of getting divorced, single mom, commuting, working max hours, and the chaos that goes along with all of that, I maintained a positive attitude and outlook on life. Realizing that happiness and joy can only be found from the inside out, it helped make the environment around me more pleasant and enjoyable.
If you believe in the law of attraction (or whether or not you believe in it) it has been proven to, in fact, be a real law. You get back what you put out. You receive what you believe in and focus on. Because I carried a lively and positive disposition, it was easy for my job, my passengers, my co-workers to be more uplifting, even when the circumstances were challenging (which they often are when traveling). I promise you that dealing with harsh situations with the vibe of positiveness, may not change the situation, but it can make the energy upbeat, which lightens the density in the environment.
Attitude… you can sense it, and are drawn to those with a good one. Have you ever been in a long line of inconvenienced passengers and watched how the agents were dealing with them? You secretly prayed to be served by one and not the other? Why? One has empathy, one is an enforcer.
Yes, there are two types of service people…
> One has an attitude of empathy, of concern, and will do anything in their power to help. They often have a lightness and even a sense of humor if appropriate. They smile with their eyes.
> The other exudes an attitude that they have control over you and your life right now, and you better not remind them of their ex! The Enforcer! It is as if they have very little control in their own lives, and will take it out on you.
As a flight attendant, I noticed that it was easier for me to diffuse a situation if I could have a sense of humor, or kindness, or gentle firmness rather than commands. An enforcer might command, “get your seat back up!”
I might say lightly, “I have a 14 year old at home, surely I can handle you… lol, please put that seat up…” Adding some fun often brings a slightly disruptive person back to their sense of propriety. Not always, but it often minimizes the risk of escalating the situation.
Attitude matters. Can you change yours? The answer is absolutely YES… if you want to. How? Gratitude is the best place to start. In EVERYTHING give thanks. Go back and read my January Saying of the Month blog. Read my forthcoming book, ‘Split-Second Transformation~Change Your Words, Change Your Life: 31 Daily Practices’. Reach out. I’m pretty good at helping folks change their words, thoughts and attitude. You and your relationships are definitely worth it.
