The other night I was reminded by a close friend of mine why I decided to write the book “Get Off Your Attitude.” She had mentioned that she thinks that most people let their negative attitudes block them from their successes in life. It could be any type of success; it could be in friendships, marriage or their career. We discussed several possible reasons for this, and the ones that really hit home to me are your past, your current situation and the influence of your circle of friends. The reason why these hit home to me is because they are areas in which I have personally struggled. Please note that I am writing these blogs and the book because I have know how it feels it how these areas can drain you and keep your from your success.
Your Past
Our past is something that always reminds us of where we have been, and too often we let it dictate our present and our future. This is a habit that I think we have all struggled with at some point in our lives, and some of us have never learned how to let go of the parts of our past that haunt us. We simply must learn to let it go. No one on this earth can change it, rewrite it or relive it. We must accept that it is over. The one thing you can’t do is forget the lesson. There is beauty in every lesson of our past, and is the most important aspect of our past. Have you ever noticed that when we first choose not to see the lesson, that it just keeps coming back at us until we do?
I firmly believe that one of the most powerful things we can do to discover these lessons in life is to journal. I write in my journal every day. I write down the good, bad, and the ugly. I write it down and move on. This is one way that can help you know that you are moving on and that you are a student of life.
Your Current Situation
Whether your current situation is good or bad, always remember that it will change. We all seem to think that the current situation is forever, but it is important to realize that it is only for a season. This is true whether you are in a bad relationship, a bad job, or in a bad financial situation.
One of the things you can do to get into a better current situation — it doesn’t matter what it is, how bad it seems, or how long you’ve been in it — is to have a game plan to make it better. You also must have goals. Your goals and game plan will keep you on track to a better situation. One the things I have learned is that you can’t change this overnight, but you can work on it a little bit daily and take it one day at a time. This will put you in control and it will definitely help you to develop a better attitude.
Your Friends
The people you are surrounding yourself with will dictate your future. I remember growing up and my mom and dad always saying things like, “birds of a feather flock together,” or my favorite is: “You lay down with dogs and you will get fleas.” I never really understood it until I was older and I must admit I didn’t listen to them. I thought I could hang out with anyone and I could keep on moving towards my goals in life. Take it from me, it does not work that way. You must surround yourself with people that are on the same playing field you are on. If you are looking to live a great life and you are looking to better yourself, you must. I remember going to one of my first motivational seminars at a young age and the speaker said, “If there is someone in your life that consistently stresses you out, get rid of them.” I did exactly what he said and it worked. I focused on others that could lift me during tough time. Remember also that you don’t want to be the person that they want to get rid of, and so make sure you bring value to your relationship to them. The way you can do that is to be positive with them and be truthful when it comes to helping each other.
One of things you can do is write down the top five people you surround yourself with. Ask yourself, are they bringing a positive effect and bringing joy to your life and are you doing the same for them? Also, you must ask yourself, “Are these individuals people that you can trust and are they people you wan to help achieve success their own lives?” This will be one of the most important things you do to help yourself achieve and maintain positive attitude.
Keep in mind that these three areas are only a few that I decided to write about in this blog. There are more that I will discuss in future blogs and in the book. I strongly welcome your feedback and I ask you to please let me know if this has helped you and if you have any suggestions on how to work on these areas and make them better. I love to hear how people have gotten of their attitude. Also, please feel free to share this blog with any of your friends who you think will benefit from its message.
“Remember that it is up to you to choose everyday to Get off Your Attitude and to create a positive lifestyle for yourself and others.” Ryan C. Lowe
