Frankl, survivor of a Nazi death camp, said, “The last of the human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” I believe he’s right — we determine our attitudes in every situation, whether we know it or not. In this unpredictable and changing world, the one thing we can always control is the way we think.
While we have little control over circumstances or the actions of others, we can control our reactions to them. And anyone can learn how to think more positively and operate with a better attitude, regardless of circumstances, temperament, or intellect. To begin thinking more positively and leading your people to do the same, follow these guidelines:
ACT LIKE THE PERSON YOU WISH TO BECOME.
To start thinking positively, begin by acting positively. Most people wait until they feel like it before taking action, but that’s going about it backwards. Instead, you’ve got to act your way into thinking. By putting desires into action, you can establish a habit of thinking positively — and the result is a positive attitude.
If you tend to think negatively, break that habit by choosing to have and exhibit a positive attitude. Besides improving your personal well-being, you’ll model the actions you want your followers to take as well. As they see your commitment to being positive, they’ll follow your example.
CULTIVATE A CONSISTENT POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
To reap a successful harvest, a farmer doesn’t plant seeds and then just expect them to grow on their own. He must continually water, weed, fertilize and nurture the growing plants if he wants them to reach maturity.
Likewise, if we want a successful life, we need to spend time every day nurturing our attitude. We must nourish the seeds of positive thinking, or they won’t grow. And if we don’t pay attention to our crop, weeds of negative thinking will spring up and choke the positive plants until they die.
Focus on what’s positive and successful. Don’t feed the weeds. As it says in Philippians 4:8, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report … think on these things” (KJV).
LOOK FOR THE BEST IN EVERYONE.
Have you noticed that whenever you buy a new car, you suddenly see others driving that same model everywhere? I’m sure you’ve figured out that those other cars were there all along; you just weren’t looking for them before. Now that you have that particular car yourself, your eye is trained to notice it. People really do see what they’re prepared to see.
That’s why it’s so important to train yourself to look for the best in others. There is good in the worst of us and bad in the best of us, if we look for it hard enough. So whether you notice positive traits or imperfections depends almost entirely on what you choose to see. When we consciously look for the best in people, we allow their good traits to have a positive impact on our life and leadership.
LOOK FOR THE BEST IN NEW IDEAS.
You might believe that great ideas come only to the geniuses of the world. But in reality, discovering an idea is more a function of attitude than aptitude. An open-minded, creative person looks for ideas anywhere he can find them. He considers every option and doesn’t reject anything until he’s thoroughly examined it for any good he can find.
Thomas Edison, one of the world’s great inventors, discovered some of his best inventions after other ideas went wrong, and he found another use for them. In fact, that’s exactly what happened with the phonograph. If you keep an open mind and explore every idea presented to you, your people will follow your example. And the new ideas you discover together will contribute to your success.
Many people tend to take attitude for granted. They assume that they’re stuck with the attitude that they have. Yet your outlook on life, as well as that of your people, can be changed. And the impact of positive thinking is so significant that it deserves regular attention. Take an attitude inventory today, and set yourself on the right track of positive thinking. Before you can change your world, you must first change the way you look at it.
