Can you choose your attitude

The average person living in the United States will experience approximately 28, mornings. Do you choose your attitude or do you give your power away and let someone or some external factor determine your attitude for you? Jean Nidetch was the founder of Weight Watchers, one of the most successful weight loss programs in the world. Based on her words and action she apparently chose a different attitude one day and started a business that not only changed her life, but changed the lives of millions of people around the world!

Do you need to decide that as of today, you will no longer allow outside influences to determine your inner happiness? Do you need to decide that after all these years, you really do deserve an extraordinary life? A loving relationship? A job you love? Your own business? You know the decision you need to make, which means you already know the action you need to take. What if this was the moment you decided? What if this was the moment you took the next step?

On the other hand, if you choose to look at yourself, your situation and your fellow humans negatively, you will find yourself struggling to manage the stress in your life, work well with others, and achieve your goals. It makes sense to choose the attitude that will work for you, not against you. All of life, on a daily basis, can tear you down — people, problems, politics. An unflappable, undaunted mindset is a mental muscle you develop. You have to keep at it , or it will atrophy.

You choose your attitude even during negative circumstances. My grandniece had had a rough day at home. Your mind manages all of your life: your outlook, how you approach situations, and how you interact and work with others. But the ones you put in and hold, you control. But of course, the flip-side of that is also true: if we choose to see the world as a generally positive, supportive place, then that is how we will experience it.

But it does take some of the perceived negative intent out of those things when they do. Maybe the person who just cut us off is late getting to the hospital to see a sick loved one, and not just a jerk.

Maybe the gate agent is just doing his job, and not conspiring against us. This has real implications for our work relationships, as well. Sometimes people let us down at work, and it has consequences for our ability to do our jobs well. All that you can do is choose how you will react.

So in these moments, before your inclination is to lash out at them, take a deep breath and think about:. A recent study in the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology found that venting and complaining at work actually increases the impact of negative experiences. It does mean that we can all benefit from choosing our attitudes, in work, in life, and especially when the stakes seem particularly high. News U.

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