Winning Attitudes
This is a lesson that I learned from John Maxwell. You should realize that you are people of influence. If your life connects in any way with other people you have influence. Also know that the influence we have on others is either positive or negative.
A positive influencer adds value to other people. Examples are: A Sunday school teacher who reads scripture to a child encourages the child to love reading the bible and helps the child become a lifelong learner.
What is the selfless part of the goal: To positively influence others, to leave a legacy.
How does being a positive influence impact others? It raises their level of living and brings meaning to life. That is what people of positive influence do - they are a light that guides others to the ultimate success.
Now that we all realize that we are people of Influence, so how do we present ourselves as a positive influence? We need winning attitudes. Our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
An Attitude is an inward feeling expressed by behavior. Did you know that an attitude can be seen without even a word being said? You have seen it. You know what I'm talking about. Haven't we all noticed the "pout" of the sulker or the "jutted jaw" of the determined? Of all the things we wear - our expression is the most important.
Since attitude often is expressed by our body language and by the looks on our faces, it can be contagious. Have you noticed what happened to a group of people when one person, by expression, reveals a negative attitude? Have you noticed the lift you get when a friends face shows love and acceptance?
Sometimes our face can mask the attitude we are wearing but eventually the cover up will not last long. The real attitude will wiggle out.
So why is attitude important?
Our Attitude determines our approach to life. The story of two buckets emphasizes this truth. One bucket was an optimist, and the other was a pessimist.
"There has never been a life as disappointing as mine," said the empty bucket as it approached the well. "I never come away from the well full, but what I return again empty."
"There has never been such a happy life as mine," said the full bucket as it left the well. "I never come to the well empty, but what I go away again full."
Paul counted himself as the "chief of sinners". He did not dwell on his past but kept his eyes on the horizon.
Philippians 3
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Our attitude tells us what we expect from life. If our nose is pointed up, we are taking off; if our nose is pointed down, we just might be headed for a crash.
Our Attitudes determine our relationships with people. The golden rule - "Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them." You know establishing relationships with people is difficult. People are funny. If you tell a man that there are 300 billion stars he will believe you. Tell the same man that a bench has just been painted; he has to touch it to be sure. What's up with that?
People are frustrating at times. They are always interesting but not always charming. People are not predictable because they have minds of their own. It is essential to get along with people because you can't get along without people.
The successes you make is only determined by 15% of what you know and 85% by your ability to deal with people. Teddy Roosevelt said, "The most important ingredient to the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people."
Attitudes are often the only difference between success and failure.
The principle of the slight edge: A slight edge when great achievements are made by people that excelled only slightly over the masses of others. Many times that edge or slight difference is attitude.
Great Resources minus Right Attitude = Defeat
Right Attitude minus Great Resources = Victory
There are little differences in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. It is called the slight edge. Get yourself a slight edge.
Attitudes at the beginning of a task will affect its outcome more than anything else. Coaches understand the importance of teams having the right attitude before facing a tough opponent. Why, because the right beginning attitude assures success in the end.
Attitude can turn problems into blessings. J. Sidlow Baxter once wrote "What is the difference between and obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude towards it. Every opportunity has a difficulty and every difficulty has an opportunity."
When confronted with a difficult situation, a person with an outstanding attitude makes the best of it, while he gets the worst of it. So life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds you down or polishes you depends upon what you are made of.
Attitude can give us uncommonly positive perspectives. Positive perspectives lead to the accomplishment of uncommon goals. What does that mean? Well we all have heard the story of David and Goliath. Goliath came up against the Israelites, the solders all thought, His is so big we could never kill him. David looked at the same giant and thought, He is so big I can't miss.
Just because we are Christians doesn't mean we automatically have good attitudes
Attitude Rules:
1. Maintain the right attitude when the going gets rough. It is the natural reaction of humans to bail out of the right attitude to compensate for our problems. During the course of our life our attitude is the critical during tough times. When we crash it comes from the wrong reaction and not from life's rough turbulence.
2. Realize that rough weather will not last forever. When we are in the middle of tough situations it is often difficult to remember that the tough time will not last forever. When we get consumed by our problems, our entire outlook is colored by the present. When you have had enough say the words "this too shall pass". Many times it is not the size of the problem but how long the problem endures that weighs heavy on us. Do not loose heart.
Be fearless, you will fail forward to get ahead
Figure Skaters will fail 1000 times before they succeed. The most sought after hitters in the major league fail 65% of the time. Every salesperson will fail before a successful sale. Therefore every advocate or activist will fail before being successful.
The difference is attitude. Failure: We hide it, Deny it, Fear it, Ignore it, Hate it!
It is impossible to succeed without suffering. If you are successful and have not suffered, someone suffered for you and if you are suffering without succeeding, perhaps someone will succeed after you. But there is no success without suffering.
Warning: The current of discouragement can sweep you into the danger zone. If we know the cause of discouragement we can more easily avoid it.
Discouragement comes when we:
1. Feel the opportunity for success is gone. The test of your character is to see what it takes to stop you.
2. Become selfish. Usually people who are discouraged are thinking of one thing - themselves.
3. Not immediately successful in our attempts to do something. Studies say that 48% of humans will make one attempt and stop. 25% of humans will make two attempts and stop. 15% of humans will make 3 attempts and stop. 12% of humans go back and back and back. They have 80% of the successes.
4. Lack of purpose or plan. Another characteristic of discouragement is inactivity. When people are discouraged they tend to withdraw. When we lack purpose, many times we lack fulfillment.
How to overcome discouragement - be encouraged:
1. Take positive action, Take action on a problem and get busy. Nothing delivers us faster from discouragement that taking positive steps to solve a problem.
2. Think positive
3. Set the positive example - be a person of influence
4. Persistence, never give up on yourself or people
Your Choice:
Choice 1 Evaluate your present attitudes - the goal is not to see the bad in you but the attitudes that keep you from being fulfilled.
Choice 2 Realize that conviction is stronger than fear. Have faith in the beginning that you can do it. Handle fear so that an endeavor can be successful and not limited by it.
Choice 3 is the invitation. Perhaps the gap between a winning attitude and a discouragement is you have not given yourself to God. This is God's invitation and not mine. There is some urgency here. God is calling you and not me to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. This is an invitation to reinvent yourself, to cleanse away transgression.