Almost anything that can be said about the topic of attitude sounds like a cliche, as though it's all been said before. Still, I wonder, why is having a good attitude so rare in our society? We have the highest standard of living in the world, the highest of anybody in history, better health, better technology, better comforts, longer life-expectancy, etc. etc., but none of this seems to produce a spirit of gratitude.
Having a good attitude has to start with an understanding that we are blessed. We must take stock of the great things God has bestowed on us if we are to have a proper outlook on the one life we have to live.
Further, a proper attitude shows respect for others. The "Accept, Approve, Appreciate" principles from Les Giblin's How to Have Power and Conrfidence in Dealing with People still apply. People have a basic need to be accepted by others. Then they seek approval. Finally, they want to be appreciated. Is this really so hard to give?
Of course, attitude is also comprised of one's outlook about the future. Let's face it, pessimism is repulsive, plain and simple. Nobody likes to be around a person who is negative, who brings others down, and who points out what's wrong with the world. Worse to be around are the types that criticize, condemn, and complain about other people.
Know-it-alls are really just people with bad attitudes about the competency of others. Do such people really think they have a lock on knowledge, or that they are that much smarter than others?
When it comes down to it, people with bad attitudes just don't have a proper perspective on things. What this really demonstrates is a lack of wisdom. Wisdom comes from examined experience, reading the scriptures, prayer, and study. Unfortunately, most people partake in none of these. They assign blame to others for their failures instead of learning the lessons those failures have to teach. They don't pray, they don't read good books (no time, of course), and they certainly don't read the Bible. Being thus uninformed, they then see fit to take only their own counsel on matters in life, and then amplify their incorrect conclusions through their bad attitude. At this point, the rest of us are allowed to share in it!
In the movie The Kid, starring Bruce Willis, the girlfriend of the main character finally gets fed up with his bad attitude. Turning around before walking away, she says, "Do you know what the saddest thing is? You could have been great!" That's how it is with bad attitudes. It's not so much that they bring other people down; although they do. It's not so much that they are a waste of time; although they are. It's that they deprive the person of greatness. They fill the void where greatness should reside. Rest assured that pessimism, negative thoughts, ingratitude, and critical spirits will never lead to greatness. And the saddest thing is that for everyone who has succumbed to the temptation of selling out to negative, "They could have been great!"
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