Your attitude can either make or break you, as it colours the way you see yourself, your relationships, your work and your world. The Oxford Dictionary defines attitude as “a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behaviour”. It is also referred to as a viewpoint, outlook, standpoint, conviction or perspective. It is this perspective on life and the events that occur in your life, that will make all the difference.

History is filled with examples of how a positive attitude transformed lives, even under the most difficult of circumstances. One such example is that of David, the young shepherd boy, who despite the size and fierceness of Goliath, believed that he could conquer the giant and with his winning attitude, he did!

Victor Frankl also comes to mind. While terribly mistreated in a concentration camp, is attitude towards those circumstances became an inspiration to millions of people. He said: “The one thing you cannot take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances”.

Leadership expert, John C. Maxwell, believes: “Attitude is really about how a person is, that overflows into how he/she acts.” It is that deeprooted feeling (positive or negative) about your life and circumstances, that is expressed through behaviour. This flows from a basic belief system or paradigm and is shaped by (amongst others) your personality; the environment you were born into; feedback from others in the form of expressed words; acceptance and affirmation by others, your physical appearance, security and status in society.

Attitude is determined by ALL of the CHOICES you make daily – and those you do not. It is ever-evolving and ever-changing ... and that is the wonderful thing about attitud – you don’t have to be stuck with the one you have; YOU have the power to change it! Yes! Attitude is a choice and according to John C. Maxwell (Attitude 101, 2003) you can have a great attitude, by making the following eight choices:

• Choice 1: Evaluate your present attitude – Identify any problem feelings, behaviours and thoughts. What paradigms do you hold that are causing you to act in negative ways? Determine what a great attitude is in your circumstances.
• Choice 2: Realize that Faith is stronger than Fear – If you believe that you can achieve or accomplish an undertaking, you will be able to complete all of the steps necessary to do so. Let go of any fear or doubt and keep the faith.
• Choice 3: Write a statement of purpose – Clearly state your goal to help you have fun and direction while changing your attitude. Align your goal with your core values.
• Choice 4: Have the desire to change – Change can only occur when you truly desire it. Always keep the end-result in mind to fan your desire for change, whenever you feel discouraged by the process.
• Choice 5: Live one day at a time – Do not attempt to change everything at once, live one day at a time and make the most of every situation you are in. Be conscious of your feelings, and the feelings of those around you and learn every day.
• Choice 6: Change your thought patterns – Your thought-life has such a profound impact on your behaviour and attitude that you MUST choose to think positively and adjust any negative paradigms. Make time every day for intentional thinking – where you think about your choices, words, actions and life. When you deliberately focus your attention on your thoughts, you will start seeing patterns that need to be encouraged or adjusted.
• Choice 7: Develop good habits – Habits are actions or reactions acquired through repetition. They do not merely happen but are caused. Your attitude is nothing more than a habit of hought. If you can determine the original cause of your attitude, you have the choice to accept or reject it.
• Choice 8: Continually choose to have a right attitude – Live one day at a time, making the choice to have a positive attitude daily. If your attitude remains just that – an attitude, it is not alive and will not be sustainable. Your positive attitude must translate into positive behaviour and that entails a whole lot of doing. Here are some practical actions to take:
  1. Be appreciative and give thanks to family members, colleagues and strangers who make your life easier by what they do.
  2. Acknowledge when a job is well done – write a little note or send an email to share the success.
  3. Celebrate birthdays, holidays and achievements with your colleagues and loved ones. Bring cupcakes or blow up balloons but do something to celebrate and have fun together.
  4. Practice random acts of kindness – always keep your eyes open for an opportunity to do a good deed. It truly is more blessed to give than to receive.
  5. PLAY! And look for opportunities to have fun – having fun does not only reduce stress, it also fills your body with feel-good endorphins that help sustain a positive attitude.