Attitude – The 7 Keys to a Positive One

By Nancy Friedman, The Telephone Doctor

Do you know the 7 keys to a great positive mental attitude? Here are the Telephone Doctor’s keys. There are obviously more, but we know that these seven are a great start to a Positive Mental Attitude. I invite you to try them.

1. Decide in advance what your attitude will be.

2. Resist negative tendencies.

3. Humor, energy, and enthusiasm.

4. Be grateful for what you have

5. Be a “whatever it takes” person.

6. Visualize success.

7. Embrace Change.

Let’s look at these keys.

Ñ Decide your attitude in advance: Yes you can! You, and only you, have complete ability to control your attitude. No one else can decide that for you; not even your parents, co-workers, boss, or neighbors. It is YOUR CHOICE, as you might have always heard. And listen up, there’s a big difference between a bad attitude and a bad mood. Moods are temporary. Attitudes are permanent. Yes, you can have a great attitude with a temporary bad mood. Whatever the situation, it’s the attitude that makes it good or bad. So, the next time you think there’s going to be bad traffic, or whatever the situation might be, plug in your ADVANCE DECISION button and decide to have a good attitude about it. You’ll be surprised at the outcome.

Ñ Visualize success: Keep in mind that what we visualize often becomes true. Why do you think those diet companies suggest you put a thin picture of yourself on the refrigerator? They want you to visualize success. Lance Armstrong, seen-time winner of the Tour de France, always saw himself crossing the finish line. Those who made it to American Idol will tell you they saw themselves on the show throughout the auditions. Visualize success!

Ñ Be a "whatever it takes" type person: Be a problem solver, not a problem giver. It has been said, "whether you say you can, or you can’t, you’re right." Think of ways to get things done. Don’t think of ways it can’t be done. One of my favorite poems by Edgar A. Guest, called It Couldn’t be Done, really takes on a life of its own. It’s all about "he tackled the thing that couldn’t be done, and he did it." I’ve memorized it and it has helped me numerous times.

Ñ Resist negative tendencies:. Ever have lunch or a meeting with Mr. or Mrs. Neggy? Nothing is ever good. They love to wallow in the negative: what went wrong, who failed, why it didn’t work and so on. Mr. & Mrs. Neggy love to have your ear, hoping they can bring you down. Don’t let them. Keep away from those types of people – the ones that complain all the time. Doesn’t matter what it’s about – could be the weather, a friend, their job, etc. They’re out to have you play on their team. Avoid negative people and tendencies.

Ñ Embrace change: My dad had multiple great sayings and one of them involved change. He used to tell me, "Nancy, the next time you change your mind, get a good one." Change is the one thing we can count on. It’s consistent. And in most, not all, but most cases, change is better. The great thing about change is that if we don’t like it, we can change our mind and try something else. So, change is a good thing. It’s fun. It’s challenging. It’s needed in so many cases.

Ñ Humor, energy, and enthusiasm: My favorites. Life without these three best friends would be pointless. At least much more difficult. Surround yourself with those who have these 3 characteristics. Make sure you have the ability to laugh at yourself, as well as others. There is normally humor in everything. Granted, you may need to look harder in some places, but I guarantee it’s there. The energy you bring to your job or life is critical to the success of everything you do. Energy creates enthusiasm. So, these three guys are critical to having a great positive mental attitude.

Ñ Be grateful for what you have: A genuine positive mental attitude has no room for jealousy. Others may have more possessions, but positive people are always grateful for what they have right now. In some cases, it may not seem as though we have enough to be grateful for. Ask yourself: if what you have was gone, what would you be left with? Right now, the one thing I’m most grateful for would be my good health. What are YOU most grateful for?

There they are! How many keys do your possess?

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Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.

Published in Networking Today, February 2007