How's Your State of Mind?

I seem to be focused on attitudes, can-do approaches this week. The following is anonymous, but it was shared with my master training class many many years ago by a man we all loved in the corporate training facility - Mr. Sandy Banker. He carried it in his pocket and would pull it out anytime he cared to.

State of Mind

If you think that you dare not--you don't.
If you think that you'd like to win,
But you think you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't.
For out in the world you find
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.

For many a race is lost
Before ever a step is run,
And many a coward fails
Before his work's begun.
Think big, and your deeds will grow;
Think small, and you'll fall behind.
Think that you can and you will find
It's all in the mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You have to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or the faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the fellow that thinks he can.

Anonymous

Strong Relationships + Solid Leadership = Success for Everyone

Question for you: Do you think you can?

Surely one of the most useful things we learn in life is to take control of our outlook, our perspective…our attitude. I grew up in a “think positive” environment and that had a profound effect my…attitude!

In management classes over the years “attitude” never fails to surface – “What if I have think someone who just has a bad attitude -can I penalize that?” Of course, the conversation becomes, you provide feedback on observable behavior, you don’t attack someone’s “bad attitude” – you must be able to quantify the feedback with specifics about behavior, not just say their attitude stinks!

But attitude is a major player in our lives – if only everyone took charge of their own outlook and realized it affects everything. I really appreciate this comment from Charles Swindoll – he says it perfectly:

Attitude
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than an education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.

Thank you, Charles!