Attitude Is Everything

An apocryphal story has been traveling across the Internet. You may have read or heard it:

Two shoe salesmen were given a new territory on a Pacific island. Immediately upon arrival, the first sales­man placed an urgent call to the home office: Get me out of here. No one on this island wears shoes.

The second salesman sent a request to the factory: Please put everybody on overtime. Will need as many shoes as you can manufacture. No one on this island has any shoes.

Attitude----the altitude adjuster----determines whether we fly high or low, crash or soar, glide or slide. 

• Attitude is more significant than what has happened or what is hap­pening. 
• Attitude is more important that what other people think about us.
• Attitude is more significant that the past, than genetics, than education, than appearance, or talent because the correct attitude can help overcome these challenges.

A couple of weeks ago I had a pity party. I became upset with everything and everybody. Then I reminded myself:  

Anybody can have a positive attitude when things are going well. It's how we act when things are going badly that determines the strength of our character. An appropriate attitude means feeling hopeful in challenging times. Look for the good. Review blessings. Remember successes. 

I shared my insight with a friend who, later that day, gave me an adhesive label to place on my bathroom mirror. Now whenever I shave, brush my teeth, or comb my hair, I see the message: 

Attitude is Everything. 

Whether we are running hot, running cold, or simply running on overload, we can tidy up our point of view by remembering these aphorisms:

• Emotional disposition outshines our social position
• What matters is what happens in us not to us
• Choices, not circumstances, determine how we think
• Activity cures misery
• The most certain way to success is to try one more time
• Act "as if" to get positive results
• What we think trumps what others think
• Contentment depends on our response to events
• Gratitude adjusts our altitude

To encourage this blogger to keep blogging, please comment. Did the blog entry bring to mind a personal story you would like to share? Any ideas you would like to contribute? Any disagreements? A partial sentence in this blog entry comes from the lyrics of a 1984 hit song. Name the song and artist.