Attitude is everything
Growing up, were you part of an organized team sports? Possibly, you grew up playing soccer, hockey, chess, or gymnastics. Through my youth, I was fortunate to play a couple of different sports. At times, I excelled at the game, and at times, I excelled at warming the bench. One of the sports I found myself doing quite well at was basketball, and I credit one of my first basketball coaches for this.
I have countless memories of this particular coach that have stuck with me over the years. One of the most impactful memories was that he loved to yell, “Attitude is everything!” Regardless if we won an important game or we were running in practice, he would yell, “Attitude is everything!”
As a young athlete, I recall hearing these three words repeatedly. Back then, I assumed my coach’s intention were to motivate the team to continue to play hard. What I realize now is that his intentions were to communicate exactly this, our “attitude is everything”, and we need to ensure we monitor our attitude, regardless if you experience a win, or defeat.
Over the last handful of years, I have been fortunate to have another mentor in my life that provides valuable guidance. When we discuss the importance of attitude, and being intentional in the pursuit of a positive one, he described a negative attitude as, “Going through life with a negative attitude is like running a 100 metre race with a parachute on, how can you expect to win”.
So, let me ask you this, how has your attitude been lately? Have you seen a change in your attitude as of late? Maybe you have been a little extra positive because of a situation going your way. On the other hand, possibly, your attitude has been more on the negative side. There are events taking place around us that can influence our attitude: weather change, the pandemic and other situations that happen behind closed doors.
Personally, I have noticed over the last little while that my attitude has been a little more negative than normal. I for one do not enjoy having a negative attitude, nor do I think anyone who is around me enjoys it very much. Since I have identified this in myself, and I understand the importance of having a positive attitude, I have had to realign my attitude by engaging in continuous positive self-talks.
Have you engaged in positive self-talks to combat a negative attitude before? I have been using this technique for years now, and find it to be quite effective. When I identify my attitude is negative, I encourage myself to express aloud, the things in life that I am grateful for. For me, I am most grateful for my wife and kids, my faith and my great industry. It is hard to feel negative when you spend time expressing gratitude, and I encourage you to try this technique.
An additional technique that I utilize to adjust my attitude is talk with a trusted colleague about how I am feeling. In a prior Josh’s Corner article, I mentioned the unexpected colleague. The colleague that almost out of nowhere becomes a trusted friend, who is willing to share an ear to hear. Similar to my teammates from my basketball playing days, I am extremely grateful for trusted colleagues that hear me out when my attitude has been more on the negative side.
As we continue to navigate through this season, that for many has been quite challenging, let us keep in mind that our attitude is everything. If we identify a change in our attitude for the worse, I encourage you to express gratitude for the positive things in your life. I encourage you to reach out to someone that you trust to communicate how you are feeling. Additionally, our industry association is full of people that I believe genuinely care for the overall wellbeing of the people within our industry. If you are ever feeling like you need to speak with someone, I encourage you to reach out. Remember, our attitude is everything, and if you ever need to talk, we are here.
Thank you,
Josh Hannaberry