Focus on an excellent attitude?
\”Daniel proved himself to be a better supervisor than any of the others. He did this by his good character and great ability. The king was so impressed with Daniel that he planned to make him ruler over the whole kingdom\”. (Daniel 6:3)
\”We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.\” Aristotle
Today, I focus a little on attitude. Inspiring or excellent attitude. I thought I should begin this article by referencing Daniel’s verse and a quote by Aristotle.
Both the Daniel verse and Aristotle’s quote are great reflection points. As I look at my own personal life, in particular my habits or just character generally. Now in my adult life, I am convinced like Aristotle that excellence indeed is a habit or a way of life, and very much an aspect of attitude. Like it was said of Daniel in Babylon, \”he was of an excellent spirit\”. Meaning, he had an extraordinary attitude.
According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, attitude is defined as \”a settled opinion, or a way of thinking; a behaviour reflecting this way of thinking\”. It is also defined as; \”truculence; a lack of cooperation; arrogance; style, swagger\”.
Now then, let us zero in on the dictionary definition, the Daniel verse and the quote by Aristotle. Where are you with your attitude? Excellent, arrogant or just terrible? Take a sober examination of your attitude. Of these attitudes where do you manifest prominently? How does it affect your relationship with your family and friends, your school or work mates etc. When you read that Daniel verse, can the same be said about your character? Excellent?
I have come to learn that any kind of attitude begins with the real you; the unseen you. Take a look at this wise saying; \”Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts\”. (Proverbs 4:23)
You are the architect of either a positive or negative attitude. I had to learn the hard way especially as a young man growing up. I used to be very sarcastic and proud. It did not bother me at the time. I did not care if my sarcasm offended people or not, I enjoyed it, especially in the company of the opposite sex. I thought it was charming to be sarcastic. I used to overhear people who did not like my attitude talk about my bad behavior. I did not care. They could keep their opinion for all I cared!
Hey, remember that I said you are the architect of your attitude? Yeah? Sometimes we all need a little \’nudge\’ to be pointed into the correct direction especially when we are bad, bad, bad. For me change happened when one day I was invited to church and I heard a preaching on pride and arrogance. I immediately repented.
I felt completely foolish. I realized that I had been a bad boy. I took a very serious reflection of my life and in particular my embarrassing attitude towards people and things around me. I felt ashamed. I then made a conscious decision to salvage my character. I worked on my relationships with my family, friends and colleagues. I just had to change bad my attitude.
That is why I can now confidently say, \”you are the architect of your arrogant or excellent attitude\”. You can take authority and choose to be the real good person that you are. I have experienced it and I am living proof that you too can come out of that bad attitude and cultivate one of excellence. You can be like Daniel in your sphere of influence.
Here are some wonderful reasons to turn around your attitude.
- you have joy and goodness every time you do good,
- if you are in business, your customers are always happy to do business with you because you have such a positive attitude.
- You are not just in business for the money but to see that you deliver goodness in your clients\’ lives. This is a real asset, bankable.
- you always appreciate and celebrate those around you and they appreciate your friendship;
- hey, you know what? A positive attitude always walks hand in hand with humility and integrity. People begin to see that you are a person of integrity when your attitude is excellent and humility inclined. True.
- out of humility you are always willing to submit yourself in service to others; always willing to give of yourself for the benefit of others, such a wonderful feeling I must add.
You know, I could go on and on but the bottom line is, with an excellent attitude you enjoy peace and joy by taking authority over your attitude if you have been struggling in this area.
Now, turn your attitude into an bankable excellent attribute. You have the power within you to do the right thing and the right thing is the right attitude. An excellent spirit, like Daniel. The power to determine the seasons you enter is within you. Let excellence be your habit not an act. Cultivate it, now and see you at the top; soon.
Thank you for reading. Let me see your feedback in the comments box below.
You may sign up here for regular updates. This blog is updated at least twice a week.
I pray peace and an excellent spirit for you.
