Attitude is everything, oh boy isn’t that the truth! There are so many events that can drastically affect our lives and it is how we deal with these events as to if they will impact our lives negatively or positively. Getting into the habit of putting aside your ego and allowing a change in your attitude is critical to living a happy life.
So often we get ourselves into ruts where our attitude becomes poisonous. These ruts are the byproducts of an event that we didn’t handle correctly or even at all. Negativity begins to rear it’s ugly head, and then the blame game fires up. Soon, our shitty attitude overflows its banks, and we pass it on to the next poor soul who crosses our path. Depending on where they are in life, they too can fall into an attitude pitfall.
You see this most often at work. Dozens of people working together for many hours at a time. It only takes one bad attitude in the office to take the rest down if they are not strong enough to fend it off. The cycle of bad attitudes eventually leads to a very depressing workplace. Leadership is left wondering what to do with a workforce who is unengaged and mentally exhausted.
So how do you avoid a bad attitude?
Check your ego at the door.
More often than not, an overstuffed ego is to blame for a negative attitude. When we are not open to change because we fear it will reduce our fragile self-esteem, we become inward thinking, and this island like mindset causes us to break down emotionally. We lash with our poor attitudes as a defence mechanism against the threat of oncoming information. A poor attitude is generally just a front for a bruised ego.
When we drop our egotistical ways, we open ourselves to change and the acceptance of a different mindset. With the deliberate practice of continual mindset adjustments, we become more resilient to negativity and blame. This doesn’t mean you will never have a bad day, it just means your attitude towards everything on average will become more favourable.
For the longest time in my work-life, I would become poisoned by the negative attitudes broadcasted by fellow employees. My lifespan for most jobs was about six years, and by the end of those jobs, my attitude towards work was very negative. It took me nearly 15 years to realize that this was all my doing and that of my ego. I was focusing on the negativity in others at work because I was defending my general lack of desire to learn and try new things on the job. I was protecting my frail ego by banding with negativity instead of asking for help. It was an awful way to work and live.
Attitude is everything in life, it can mean the difference between being forever young or prematurely old. I can be the difference between being prosperous or just scraping by. I can be the difference between good health and constant sickness. Attitude affects our soul; live a life with an open and positive attitude, and soon enough, you will find your happiness within.
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This blog post is part of a series of 26 that focuses on finding your inner happiness. Please check out the rest of the series here: The ABC’s of a Happy Life