GMC News
Word of the Week: Attitude
Georgia Military College Prep School
Word of the Week: Attitude
Week of August 23 – August 29, 2015
Definition: manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, esp. of the mind: a positive attitude; group attitudes.
Quotes:
“Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” – Raymond Chandler
“Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results.” – William James
“Happiness doesn't depend on any external conditions; it is governed by our mental attitude.” – Dale Carnegie
Getting to the Point:
How is your attitude this morning? Did you sleep well or did the neighbor’s barking dog keep you awake all night? Now if it was Spot the barking poodle that howled at the moon all night and kept you from sleeping, I would bet your attitude is not great. So when you finally get your day going and go next door to address your neighbor, how is your attitude going to be? Hopefully you have taken some time to reflect on the situation before you go next door and ruin a friendship over a half crazed dog. Your attitude says volumes about your character and even when things are not going well, a good attitude can make positives out of a bad situation.
Putting Words into Action:
One’s attitude can make all the difference in the world. Do you hit the ground running every morning with a good attitude or do you fuss at the sun for coming up? For most of us, we do a little of each. A good attitude will take you a long way and when we are doing something we would rather not do, a happy outlook on the situation will make it more bearable like cleaning the bathroom or doing laundry!
Think About It:
We have all been around people with yucky attitudes and many times it brings us down too. So before you fall victim to someone with a bad attitude, check your own and see if you can’t see the rainbow from the rain and not the darkness all around. Life is too short to be negative all the time. Being positive benefits you and everyone else you meet on life’s journey.
Reflection
There are so many little things we can do to have a positive attitude. Be kind to others. Be thoughtful. Be polite. It is healthy to have a positive attitude. Being a “Negative Ninnie” all the time is not good for you or those around you. People with bad attitudes can bring everybody down. William J. Brennan, Jr. said “There are no menial jobs, only menial attitudes.” Many times we are put in situations we would rather not be in, and if not for a positive attitude the outcome would not be good.
There are lots of books and self-help websites on how to improve your attitude. The website Inc.com lists a number of ways to improve your attitude. It reminds us that we control our own attitudes and that we can improve on them by using a more positive vocabulary and staying away from whiners and complainers. We all get caught in situations where everyone in the room is a downer. It is tough being the positive one in a room full of negativity. There are so many places we can get caught by negative attitudes. Think about how many places you go each day and hear negative things like work or home or church or in the checkout line in the grocery store? There are times where we need to clear the air about a situation, but going on and on about a negative situation never does anyone any good.
So help that person to get over their issue with a better attitude. Many problems can be resolved with a positive attitude.
If we go into a situation with a negative attitude and the results stink, then no one should be surprised by the outcome. I know my older generation recognizes the importance of a good attitude and that it is our responsibility to pass it on to future generations. I would suspect that many if not all of the so-called impossible tasks were accomplished with a positive attitude. Do you think we could have made it to the moon without a positive, go get it attitude? And remember a positive attitude can be contagious to everyone around us. So grab your bootstraps and put on your happy face and get out there. There are lots of people in need of a positive attitude so work to be that for others. Start with a positive word, keep positive thoughts in your head, and remember “Life is too short to be in a bad mood.” So go out today and be positive to those around you.
MAJ Brent Gebel tries every day to have a positive attitude at Georgia Military College Prep School
