“Our attitude is the primary force that will determine whether we succeed or fail.”

A thought by John C. Maxwell from his book, How High Will You Climb? (p. 16). Harpers Collins Leadership Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

This is such an important factor for us to comprehend and internalize.

John says, “For some, attitude presents a difficulty in every opportunity; for others it presents an opportunity in every difficulty. Some climb with a positive attitude, while others fall with a negative perspective. The very fact that the attitude ‘makes some’ while ‘breaking others’ is significant enough for us to explore its importance.”

John gives some attitude axioms, “#1: Our attitude determines our approach to life.”

He goes on, “The story of the two buckets underlines this truth. One bucket was an optimist, and the other was a pessimist.

“‘There has never been a life as disappointing as mine,’ said the empty bucket as it approached the well. ‘I never come away from the well full but what I return again empty.’ ‘There has never been such a happy life as mine,’ said the full bucket as it left the well. ‘I never come to the well empty but what I go away again full.’

“Our attitude tells us what we expect from life. If our ‘noses’ are pointed up, we are taking off; if they are pointed down, we may be headed for a crash.

“One of the valid ways to test your attitude is to answer this question: Do you feel your world is treating you well? If your attitude toward the world is excellent, you will receive excellent results. If you feel so-so about the world, your response from the world will be average. Feel badly about your world, and you will seem to have only negative feedback from life. Look around you. Analyze the conversations of people who lead unhappy, unfulfilled lives. You will find they are crying out against a society that they feel is out to get them and to give them a lifetime of trouble, misery, and bad luck. Sometimes the prison of discontent has been built by their own hands.

“The world doesn’t care whether we free ourselves from this prison or not. It marches on. Adopting a good, healthy attitude toward life does not affect society nearly so much as it affects us. The change cannot come from others. It must come from us.”

And then, “We are individually responsible for our view of life. The Bible says, ‘Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap’ (Gal. 6:7). Our attitude and action toward life help determine what happens to us.”

There is so much more that John says, but we’ll start here.  So let’s do all we can today to point our “noses” up. Ok?

Yes, yes!