A positive attitude…it’s contagious!

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Motivational writers such as Norman Vincent Peale have been telling us for years that a positive outlook can make people more successful in life. Positive thinking may be more powerful than even Peale realized. According to research conducted by psychologists in the late '80's, good health and the ability to overcome stress are also linked to a positive attitude.

What is attitude?

On the surface, it could be described as the disposition we display to others. Elwood N. Chapman, author of Attitude: Your Most Priceless Possession, claims, "Attitude is a mind set. It is the way you look at things mentally." He goes on to observe, "A positive attitude is the outward manifestation of a mind that dwells primarily on positive matters."

Believe it or not, attitude is contagious. A positive attitude gives energy to you and to those around you. On the other hand, a negative attitude drains your energy and the energy of those with whom you come in contact.

It's really not surprising that many people have a negative attitude, when you consider that negative statements are all around us. One study being quoted by Charles Thompson in his book, What a Great Idea!, revealed that, at home, parents utter 18 negative statements for every positive one, usually to an inquisitive child who wants to know how something works. The average is 432 negative statements per day! None of us can be unaware that negative stories in the media far outnumber the positive ones.

On a scale of negative one to positive ten, how would you rate your attitude toward your job and toward your life? If you rated yourself on the lower half of the scale, you may see shades of yourself in these three scenarios:

Steve is a customer service representative for a large organization. Most of Steve's workday is devoted to dealing with customers over the phone. If Steve were to think about it, he would realize that at least 95 per cent of these customers are reasonable and pleasant people. However, Steve tends to dwell on the five per cent or less that he calls "difficult people." Unfortunately, Steve's negative attitude toward his job is affecting his wife and family.

Elaine and Bob are the naysayers that you occasionally find at a meeting. They shoot down every suggested idea. Elaine and Bob's typical responses are: "We tried that before." "We've always done it this way." "It can't be done." Seminar leader and author, Charles Thompson, label these negative responses "killer phrases." He believes that they can thwart creative efforts and reduce the likelihood of beneficial change.

Elaine and Bob's co-workers often say that the human race would still be living in caves if those two had their way. Although it is said jokingly, they are right in thinking that Elaine and Bob's negative attitudes stem from a reluctance to change.

Katy, an office supervisor, has allowed herself to get into a negative rut. Katy's conversation is a litany of complaints. Some days, people wonder if she ever says anything positive about anyone or anything. Unfortunately, Katy is unaware of her negative attitude.

What can these people in these scenarios—Steve, Elaine, Bob, and Katy—do to develop a more positive attitude?

All of them would benefit from taking a more positive picture of life. Elwood N. Chapman uses the analogy of a camera in his book, Attitude: Your Most Priceless Possession. "Think of attitude as your mental focus on the outside world," he says. "Like using a camera, you can focus or set your mind on what appeals to you. You can see situations as either opportunities or failures. A cold winter day as either beautiful or ugly. A departmental meeting as interesting or boring." He goes on to say, "Quite simply you take the picture of life you want to take."

Steve, the customer service representative, could put this advice into action by focusing on the pleasant customers with whom he talks, instead of those he deems "difficult people." Think how pleasantly surprised his wife and family would be if he replaced his grousing with some pleasant anecdotes.

To be fair to Elaine and Bob, negative thinkers can alert the overly optimistic to the pitfalls of a decision. However, this can be done in a cautionary manner, rather than by creating a negative atmosphere. The prospects for a more realistic decision are increased.

Katy's problem is a very common one. She has overlooked this one crucial factor in maintaining a balanced outlook on life: a positive attitude must be continually revitalized. Given her supervisory responsibilities, Katy needs to understand that her outlook could negatively affect the performance of her department.

How can you develop a more positive attitude?