Where's that nose pointed?

I have always appreciated John Maxwell's leadership advice. He is an excellent teacher and one of my favorite thoughts from him is that "people may hear your words, but they feel your attitude." Attitude comes in louder and clearer than just about anything else because it is palpable. Even when you attitude is that of apathy or disinterest, there is a certain sense of 'feeling' that presents with your disinterest. Most of the time, we are making judgments about people and how certain interactions went not so much by the actual words, but by the attitude which was displayed while those words were shared.

A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life; jealousy rots it away. (Proverbs 14:30 TLB)

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. 4 Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing. (Philippians 2:3-4 TLB)

Attitude is reflected in our actions, words, and even in our expressions. This is why it matters so much that our attitude and our actions are on the same page! We don't want to say one thing, while having an attitude that reflects we don't really mean what we say. We don't want to promise a certain action, while having an attitude that says 'when hell freezes over'. Attitude begins pretty much in our thoughts - as we think, we act. We find our attitude often is 'adjusted' when our thoughts begin to change toward something.

Dread of something usually comes when we think upon the difficulties or unpleasantness of the thing we are about to do. Dread that walk? It might be caused by you first thinking upon how much you will sweat in the heat and that 'colors' your enthusiasm to get out there and just walk off some of that stress you are under. Dread that pile of laundry? It probably isn't so much the task of washing it as it is folding it, hanging it up, ironing it, and then helping it find the right storage location in the various rooms of your house! It could also be the idea that has formed that no one seems to appreciate all that labor you go through to put those clean clothes on their backs.

Attitude really goes a long way in determining how much 'oomph' we put into whatever is before us, doesn't it? If we really aren't getting much out of a relationship, or worse yet, that relationship is one that seems to kind of suck the life out of us, we might not be all that enthusiastic in our interactions with that person. We 'turn off' when around them - 'spending time', but not really enjoying it or being present in the moment. You have probably heard me say on more than one occasion that attitude determines altitude. You cannot climb higher than the attitude of plane's nose - it is an aeronautical term. Wherever the nose is pointed, that is the altitude one will eventually assume.

While we cannot always be 'on target' with a positive attitude, fully engaged, and constantly consistent in attitude, we can make great strides by allowing a continual examination of our thoughts to ensure they are pointing us in the right direction to attain a more positive attitude! Just sayin!

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