By Brandon Matthews
Have you ever been told that you needed an attitude adjustment? Growing up, I can remember my mom telling me that when I was about to be in trouble. Today, as a parent, it’s a statement I find myself making to my six year old as well. The truth is, from time to time, we all need an attitude adjustment. Your attitude is important, because your attitude is your authority. It is the lens through which you see the world. You can wake up in the morning with a bad attitude, for no reason at all, and it will rule your whole day. Your attitude is like the nose of an airplane. If it’s pointed up, you are taking off. If it’s pointed down, you are about to crash. Which direction is your attitude taking you?
If you aren’t sure which direction your attitude is taking you, you could ask someone, and I’m sure they would be happy to tell you. Or here is a simple quiz that might make it a little less painful. Answer this question: What song lyric most closely resembles your attitude?
- Make the world go away
- Raindrops keep falling on my head
- I did it my way
- Oh, what a beautiful morning
If you find yourself in need of an attitude adjustment, let me offer three ways to help get the process started.
- Always be grateful. Gratitude is simply the act of being grateful. Often, our bad attitude is born from being dissatisfied with what we don’t have rather than being grateful for what we do. Oprah Winfrey once said, “The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now.” It is proven that gratitude helps improve our mental, physical, and emotional health.
- Always be giving. Generosity is the outward expression of an inner attitude. Generosity places the focus on the needs of others. Generosity is always looking for a way to bless someone else rather than blessing yourself. When you experience making a difference for someone else, it will supply you with that much-needed attitude adjustment.
- Always be growing. Difficult times can easily create a bad attitude. However, difficult times are what provide growth as an individual. You are stronger, wiser, and more prepared after difficult seasons. I challenge you to write down the top three problems you are currently facing. Then, list three possible benefits of each one. When you identify the possible benefits, begin focusing on each one, and watch your attitude begin to change.
Leadership expert John Maxwell once said, “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.” How does your attitude make others feel? Do you need an attitude adjustment? Start today being grateful for the good. Be generous instead of greedy. And choose to grow rather than grumble.
Brandon Matthews is the For Tomorrow Program Director.