Attitude is everything.

Attitude, outlook, perspective, approach – whatever we call it – it affects or changes everything.

What if something unexpected or unwanted happens? You lose your job, you “fail” at something, you don’t meet your goal? Well, it is what it is – we can’t control everything. But we can of course change our attitude, our outlook on what has happened.

I know it sounds simple and obvious, but yet, when we really need that attitude, we don’t always look for it – we get stuck in the “automatic” reaction of anger, disappointment, sadness, sense of failure. And the key word here is of course to go LOOK for the attitude. It’s a choice and it can be made at any time, in any situation.

And an easy way to LOOK for it and FIND it is to be ready with an attitude, a thought, a mantra if you like, which quickly gets you on the right path to take the next step to progress, success, results.

I have two favourites, which I always call on as a way to get me back on track – they were both used by the late Susan Jeffers PhD, author of the bestseller “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway” – a master of great attitude. The second one is of course also an old proverb.

It’s all happening perfectly

This too shall pass

And I’ve added my own: I will find out what good this will lead to

Because pretty much everything leads to something good – especially when we look for the good and expect it.

I have met so many people who have met disappointment and worse and have found (later on) that it was the best that could have happened to them.

People who have lost jobs and realised that it was the push they needed to take the long overdue step of doing something new that they had wanted but not dared to take.

People who have failed and realised that they never would have come up with that brilliant new idea unless they had failed and had to have a rethink.

People who have experienced conflict with their team members and realised that it forced them (in a good way) to take a new approach to teamwork, leading to much greater goal achievement and team climate.

Attitude is everything, and one of the few things completely within our own control. Completely – if we choose to take that control.

So go on, have an attitude!