Your attitude is the track your relationships run on.
Your attitude affects how you think, perceive events and react to others. When your attitude is bent in a negative direction, you are blind to seeing the positive things in life.
Having a good attitude doesn’t mean you never have to face the negative realities of life. It just means you don’t allow the negativity to ruin you and bring down those around you.
I once climbed Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was a long hike, which included weeks of physical preparation. I wasn’t alone; I hiked Pikes Peak with a team. There were multiple teams on this adventure.
As we began the 14 mile hike upward, we were all full of excitement and optimism. By the time we reached the half-way point we were all starting to feel the burn. When we hit the last check point many people from other teams had already quit.
Our team was strong, but along the way each one of us had moments of weakness. We would doubt our ability to make it, and we would communicate the pain we were experiencing as well as our disbelief that we would actually be able to finish the hike.
Each time a teammate would face this wall, the others on the team would give encouragement and try to help them push on. It also gave each of us a moment to assess our current state of mind. For some it opened the door to chance slipping into the same negative mindset.
This is the power of one person’s attitude.
Because the overall attitude of the team was positive towards accomplishing our goal, the moments of temporary weakness were overshadowed.
Think about how difficult it would have been if we had a teammate that only focused on the negative and carried a bad attitude from the beginning. It would have made the hike harder because we not only would have had to combat the challenge of climbing the mountain, but also the constant drain from that person.
By the way, the last 3 miles were the worst! You can visually see the top, but at this point you have to go back and forth on switchbacks to make it there. In the end it was well worth it, as we got to experience the breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountains.
Your attitude affects those around you; for the good and the bad.
This isn’t about telling you to not have a bad attitude.
This is about you realizing that you can be a role model and leader within your team and with those you interact with, simply by approaching life with a solid positive attitude.
Think about the people you interact with every day. Who are the ones you look forward to seeing? Who are the ones that you enjoy spending time with? Or sharing a meal with? It’s probably those that exude a positive attitude and outlook in life.
How have you observed someone’s attitude (good or bad) affect someone else?
