Bad Attitude: Life’s Greatest Liability

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference”.
Winston Churchill.
One of America’s greatest philosophers and psychologists, who was instrumental in establishing Harvard’s Psychology Department, William James, summarised his greatest discovery in one of his books when he said, ”The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes”. A converted attitude is the key to a transformed life and your attitude introduces you even before you speak! Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ”Your attitude is so loud that I cannot hear what you are saying”.

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States once said, “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goals; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude”. It’s very obvious from Jefferson’s quote that it is relatively impossible to help a man with the wrong attitude. I have come to a diagnostic conclusion that the greatest of all human problem is the attitude problem! A man with a bad attitude is a liability to himself and every other person around him. There is more hope in life for a poor man with the right attitude than a rich man with the wrong attitude.

There are many things that can get a man to the top, but there’s just only one thing that keeps him there- Attitude. I have observed that virtually everybody wants to be great in life and so we invest so much in education, trainings,seminars and all that we presume will help us get to greater heights in life. We’re living in an age where investment in developmental trainings and education has become unprecedented but sympathetically bankrupt attitudinally. The No.1 ‘Attitude Coach', Zig Ziglar, said, “your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude”. Until we give the right attitude a place in our life, we will always end up bankrupt regardless of how buoyant we are in every other area of life.

“Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude towards it, for that determines our success or failure”.
Norman Vincent peale.

“There is a little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative”
Clement Stone.

“Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings and emotions”.
Will Smith.

When people throws bricks at you, use them to lay a strong foundation where you build your success. What is life throwing at you and how are you reacting to it? How is your inner reaction towards frustrations? How well are you able to maintain a positive outlook even in the most provocative situation?

The only thing that is truly ours is our attitude. Your car can be stolen, your house can be burgled, you can be dispossessed of your money, but nobody can steal your attitude it’s yours! Zig Ziglar said ”A bad attitude is like a flat tire; you can’t go anywhere until you change it”.
We must cultivate the attitude that is truly significant to our destination.
One attitude that is fast declining in this generation is the attitude of gratitude. Some people find it very difficult just to say “Thank you”. The problem is not the problem. The problem is the attitude towards the problem. A bad attitude can literally block love, blessings and destiny from finding you.
Don’t be the reason you don’t succeed.