In this first part of dissecting and digesting this book tagged ''The Winning Attitude'' by John Maxwell, I'll try to make the blog as brief as possible, knowing fully well that so many people hate lenghty texts and lack either the patience or the time to read through written material , especially when it isn't a scandal or gossip loool.
One of my goals of 2014 was to change entirely the way I saw life and some aspects of my character, and I took the bold steps of cutting down TV , events etc and subtituting them with reading great books and the bible.
You can't even imagine how my life has changed tremendously. I used to be so negative about life without knowing , but my whole attitude and perspective about life has changed, and I am bolder, happier with less worry , anxiety etc.
I really want ardent reader's of my blog to benefit from my new found hobby and possibly use this as a medium to touch and change thier lives .
THE ATTITUDE
Axiom 1
OUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES OUR APPROACH TO LIFE
If your attitude toward the world is excellent, you will receive excellent results and vice versa.
In this first part, the author encourages individuals to always have an optimistic(positive ) attitude and not a pessimistic (negative ) approach to any issues of life.
It dosen't matter what situation we find ourselves in , our attitude to the issue at hand makes all the difference.
It is worthy to note that BAD SITUATIONS happen to everyone under the surface of the sun, but what distinguishes winners from loosers is their attitude and how they decide to see events.
See problems as stepping stones- Without challenges, we would not grow the author emphasizes.
Rather than focus on a problem, focus on the solution , having a positive outlook rather than being negative.
Every great man ever known under the surface of the sun passed through hurdles and failed a couple of times before succeeding eventually.
Do not place limitations on your life - Avoid negative words like I will never succeed, I am not good enough, I keep failing , why do bad things happen to me always, why me, I failed before I won't try again, I can't do this or that.
The truth is YOU CAN. Your creator i.e God has endowed you with supernatural gifts, talents and abilities. The fact that you failed before in any sphere wether marriage, business, job, exams etc doesn't mean you aren't good enough. Phil 4:13 says '' I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me''.
Factors responsible for your failure could be either you lacked knowledge, lacked experience,lacked prayer, facts etc necessary to make you succeed at that time.
Even if you had all the factors mentioned above, life has a way of still bringing some unpleasant situations our way.
Biulding the Right Attitudes takes work- Great attitudes aren't biult over night, they take work and sacrifice.
STEPS
A. Read great books- The bible says ''guard the windows and gates to your heart ( Prov 4:23).
Watch the materials you consume and read. Out of your busy schedules, find time to read autobiography's and biography's of great men, and you will be motivated and encouraged knowing they scaled through, despite facing hurdles.
Read motivational books, materials with positive and uplifting content.
B. Watch Your Associations: An author once wrote, ''we would be the same people we were in 5 years time, except for the books we read and the friends we keep.
You reap whatever you sow.
1. Avoid highly negative people- Those kind of people who would never change their negative attitude no matter what .
2. Avoid friends who put you down and keep your spirits low always.- Those people who never affirm you or verbally abuse you all the time. Who always make it a point to tell you ,you aren't good enough, can't do anything worthwhile etc.
Speak to yourself, control your thoughts- Watch your words, control your thoughts.
Say positive mantras always e.g I am a winner, I will succeed, I am rich, I am healthy, events and circumstances are working for my good etc. The bible says '' Call those things that be not as though they are''.
When circumstances around you do not reflect what you want , call those unpleasant situations as though they were great and pleasant.
Maintain a positive self image and esteem. Kill every negative thought springing up from your heart e.g I keep failing, I am just an old cargo, my mates are having the best this and that etc.
Learn to love yourself, appreciate your faults and work towards being better, becuase outward actions can never be changed without first changing inward feelings.
Remember- No one is perfect, even the Kardashian's , the models or the business moguls you revere.
Be Open To Change and New Experiences- Leave the past in the past and forge ahead .Philippians 3:3, 14. Refuse to dwell on negative past experiences, but concentrate on the lessons learnt and focus on the present and the future.
You can never recal or turn the hands of time, but you can control your thoughts and response.
Be open to change and new experiences, because they may infact be blessings in disguise. Be open to exploring new avenues and taking risks.
Learn to forgive yourself- As humans, we aren't perfect and we are laced with a couple of flaws. When you make a mistake, learn to forgive yourself and not kill or bite yourself about it over and over again. Appreciate the lesssons learnt , and be determined not to repeat the same mistake again and again.
BLOG continues in Part 2
No comments:
Post a Comment