Charles Swindoll

A family is a place where principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living. Alleged "impossibilities" are opportunities for our capacities to be stretched. Don't be afraid of outgiving. It is impossible to do that. Each day, we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. Let us strive to make the finest investment we can. I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun. The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it's a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information and thoughts that inspires us to do our best. The swift wind of compromise is a lot more devastating than the sudden jolt of misfortune. We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. We have become a generation of people who worship our work, who work at our play, and who play at our worship.

We shouldn't deny the pain of what happens in our lives. We should just refuse to focus only on those experiences. When I think of vision, I have in mind the ability to see above and beyond the majority. When you have vision it affects your attitude. Your attitude is optimistic rather than pessimistic. Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.

more important than the past, than 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 one 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. A proper leadership attitude is the difference maker in relationships, leadership and results. To be a person of influence you must be like the North Star to othersalways pointing in the right direction. If your attitude is constantly changing based on victories or lossesyou are making it very hard for others to follow you.

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

Having a positive attitude does not mean ignoring the facts. A positive attitude is a confidence that regardless of the factsyou plan and work to overcome and win. I have watched many incredibly talented people fail. The failure itself is not fatal as everyone fails at some point. The attitude you take after the failure is crucial to your long term success. If you label yourself a loser because of the lossthis will have more long term negative affect than the loss itself. I love the statement, Its not what happens to you, but how you handle it that counts I could not possibly say it better than Chuck Swindoll has in this passage. Do you have an attitude of gratitude? When challenges hit you, how do you respond? Leaders must guard and nurture the proper attitudes. Your team must know that you are a principle centered person and follow the North Star of your principles. A ship following the North Star is not carried away by the latest winds or

currents. The captain of the ship stays focused on the North Star and guides the ship to this absolute. In the same way, leaders must stay focused on the North Star of their absolute principles and not be blown by the latest victory, loss, or setback. Are you that type of leader to your team? How do you protect and nurture your attitude? Do you encourage others in your team by your positive example? I have decided to live my life by principles period. My personal responsibility to God is to follow the right principles and I will leave the consequences of following the right principles to God Himself! As moral agents - we are responsible for the choices we make and God is responsible for the consequences of our choices. Attitude does make the difference and it starts with you. Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.

William James (American Philosopher and Psychologist, leader of the philosophical movement of Pragmatism,1842-1910).

The Meaning of Success: To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, To find the best in others; To leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. Ralph Waldo Emerson

A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes. Hugh Downs

A leader's attitude is caught by his or her followers more quickly than his or her actions. John C. Maxwell

A limit on what you will do, puts a limit on what you can do. anon.

87 percent of all people fail, not because of capability but because of personality. Kurt Einstein of Success magazine.

A person with an outstanding attitude makes the best of it while he gets the worst of it. John C. Maxwell

A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success in life. Dr. Joyce Brothers.

An attitude is: an inward feeling expressed by an outward action. John C. Maxwell

Action and feeling go together, and by regulating the action... we can directly regulate the feeling. William James

An attitude's growth never stops. John C. Maxwell

All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. James Allen

Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude towards it, for that determines our success or failure. Norman Vincent Peale

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing. Abraham Lincoln

As negative thoughts produce negative actions, so positive thoughts produce positive actions. John C. Maxwell

Attitudes are nothing more than habits of thought. John C. Maxwell

Change your thoughts and you change your world. Norman Vincent Peale

Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have the right attitude toward others. Wilfred Peterson

Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. John Wooden

Be the most enthusiastic person you know. John C. Maxwell

Finally, I urge you to develop an optimistic attitude and a strong belief in yourself. I don't advise you to be egocentric, but it's not conceited to have a solid sense of your own abilities. This will help you through the rough times we all encounter. Instead of being defeated by them, you will lean from these challenges and go on to conquer them. Mike Wright, Chairman/CEO/President, Supervalu, Inc.

Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities -- always see them, for they're always there. Norman Vincent Peale

For every failure, there's an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour. Mary Kay Ash

Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values. Ayn Rand

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day. Sally Koch

Hire attitude and train for skill. The most talented person will destroy a business if there is an attitude problem, and fellow employees are the first to know it. Bruce Flohr, President/CEO, Rail Tex Services Co., Inc.

Happiness is a habit - cultivate it. Elbert Hubbard I studied the lives of great men and famous women, and I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm. Harry S. Truman

Happiness is not something you find, but rather something you create. anon.

If things go wrong, don't go with them. Roger Babson

If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through. Rosalynn Carter

If you are selective about the things you choose to read, look at or listen to, then you are taking effective action against negative thinking. It's just like with a computer; if you change the input, you will change the output. Zig Ziglar

It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere. Agnes Repplier

If you can't do great things, do small things in a great way. Don't wait for great opportunities. Seize common, everyday ones and make them great. Napoleon Hill

Keep your face to the sun, and you will never see the shadows. Helen Keller

Man's greatness lies in his power of thought. Blaise Pascal

Nothing can stop the person with the right mental attitude from achieving their goal; nothing on earth can help the person with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson

Our attitude is more honest and more consistent than our words. Abraham Lincoln

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Places and circumstances never guarantee happiness. You must decide within yourself whether you want to be happy. Robert J. Hastings Show me a person who sees himself negatively and I will show you a person who sees others in a negative way. John C. Maxwell

Often our attitude is the only difference between our success and failure. Abraham Lincoln Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can. Richard Bach One person can make a difference and every person should try. John F. Kennedy

Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so he is. Publilius Syrus

Success comes to those who become success conscious. Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure conscious. Napoleon Hill

There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment. Norman Vincent Peale

The leader's attitude helps determine the attitudes of the followers. John C. Maxwell

There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. (Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2) Shakespeare

The only lack or limitation is in your own mind. N.H. Moos The positive person understands that the journey is as enjoyable as the destination. anon.

We are either the masters or the victims of our attitudes. It is a matter of personal choice blessing or curse. anon.

The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief. Shakespeare, Othello, Act 1, Scene 3

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are--or, as we are conditioned to see it. Stephen R. Covey

We tend to get what we expect. Norman Vincent Peale

Your enthusiasm will be infectious, stimulating and attractive to others. They will love you for it. They will go for you and with you. Norman Vincent Peale

Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun. Colleen C. Barrett Every luxury must be paid for, and everything is a luxury, starting with being in the world. Cesare Pavese You don't get to choose how you're going to die, or when. You can only decide how you're going to live. Joan Baez

In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip. Daniel L. Reardon

You win only if you aren't afraid to lose. Rocky Aoki Life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react. anon.

Life is an experience. Live it. Nike Slogan Negative thinking blows everything out of proportion. John C. Maxwell

Many people help construct our attitudes at a certain time and place. John C. Maxwell

Negative thinking creates clouds at critical decision times. John C. Maxwell

Most people have a desire to look for the exception instead of the desire to become exceptional. John C. Maxwell

Negative thinking hinders others from making a positive response. John C. Maxwell

Most projects fail or succeed before they begin. anon. Negative talking is contagious. John C. Maxwell Negative thinking keeps us from enjoying life. John C. Maxwell

Negative thinking limits God and our potential. John C. Maxwell

Our attitude determines our relationships with people. John C. Maxwell

Our attitude at the beginning of a task will affect its outcome more than anything else. John C. Maxwell

Our attitude is the primary force that will determine whether we succeed or fail. John C. Maxwell

Our attitude can give us an uncommonly positive perspective. John C. Maxwell

Our challenge is to think right in a wrong world. Our challenge is to think positive in a negative world. John C. Maxwell

Our attitude can turn our problems into blessings. Our attitude determines our approach to life. John C. Maxwell Problems are not my problem. It's not what happens to me but what happens in me that matters. John C. Maxwell

Since an attitude is often expressed by our body language and by the looks on our faces, it can be contagious. John C. Maxwell

There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem. Harold Stephens

So of cheerfulness, or a good temper, the more it is spent, the more of it remains. Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is no such thing as a perfect flawless attitude. John C. Maxwell

The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. Henry Ford The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Franklin D. Roosevelt

To get out of a hard situation, try a soft answer. John C. Maxwell

The quickest and shortest way to crush whatever laurels you have won is for you to rest on them. Donald P. Jones

We are responsible for our attitudes. John C. Maxwell

Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right. Henry Ford

Attitude is a paintbrush. It colors everything! Saint-Exupery

The meaning of things lies not in the things themselves but in our attitude towards them. Saint-Exupery