Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share with you a few things that, if you do them daily, will change your life and career. They are easy to do. I like to refer to them as the ABC’s to Outstanding.
John Maxwell says, “Talent is not enough.” Our single biggest obstacle is not believing in ourselves. Not holding ourselves accountable is a close second. What we tell ourselves matters most on who we become.
Today, I want to discuss the first piece of the ABC’s to Outstanding: The A stands for Attitude. Who control’s your attitude? You do! Yet, how often do we let events turn us negative, mad, jealous, victim or just gloomy? Things as simple as someone pulling out in front of us, or breaking in line at the grocery completely change our outlook on the day. We even keep negative friends that affect our attitude and anchor us to the negative side. Why do we so often give that power away? Outstanding requires that we recognize when we are giving our power of attitude away and turn it back positive.
Dr. Martin Seligman, the most renowned authority on positive attitudes and happiness, has proven in his studies of people that your attitude is a better indicator of your success than your IQ or your education. Positive people generally live longer, are healthier, have less stress, have better marriages/relationships, better careers, and generally make more money. Most importantly, they are more empowered to integrate their career and personal lives.
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege and honor to have lunch with Bonnie St. John, who holds three Olympic medals as a downhill skier in the Paralympics in 1984. Talk about a person who has a positive attitude and determination. Bonnie comes from a broken home, she was abused as a child and at the young age of 5, lost her right leg. But Bonnie never let that stop her. She found a way to go to ski college, and later found Olympic fame. As we sat there discussing life, she recalled being approached once by a mother who had a child with a severe handicap. “How can he ever have a normal life?” she said. Bonnie responded, “Never aim that low, he can have an extraordinary life!” Wow, what an amazing outlook she has.
Let’s move towards outstanding. Let’s develop daily habits that move us from good to great. Let’s be diligent in practicing intentional gratefulness. Write down three things you are thankful for right now. If you do that every morning, your days will be brighter. Having a grateful heart will improve your attitude daily and give you more control.
Your attitude will control how far you go so don’t give it away, be intentional. Success alone doesn’t bring happiness, but a positive attitude and happiness does create more success. Who is in control of your attitude today?