The Attitude Factor;

The Impact of Attitude in Lifelong

Learning, Relationships, and Success in Life

Isaiah J. Roberts

North Star High School

March 4, 2010
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Outline

I. The difference in attitudes

A. A positive attitude

A negative attitude

II. The effects of attitude in one’s life

A. Attitude determines how well one learn

1. One must approach learning with a positive attitude

2. Seek out new ways to learn

B. Attitude can build up, or tear down, relationships

1. Look to benefit others by one’s actions

2. Keep a good attitude towards coworkers

C. Attitude affects one’s success

1. Learn from failure

2.

3. Work with a positive attitude

III. Building a positive life attitude

A. Check one’s outlook towards life, relationships, and work

1. Examine personal, learning, and professional attitudes

B. Adjust one’s attitude to look for the best, and move past the negative

1. Find positive aspects in each area of life

IV. Conclusion
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Abstract

Attitude is a constant factor in the life of all individuals. Attitude affects the way one

perceives a situation, as well as dictating one's response to that situation. Learning, personal

relationships, and careers require a positive attitude to be successful. Building a positive attitude

is the responsibility of each individual, and requires close examination of one’s thoughts and

actions. Through a consistently positive attitude toward all areas of life, one will gain greater

success on the effort invested.

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The Attitude Factor

Seldom are the far reaching effects of attitude truly understood. Attitude is the constant

factor in each area of one’s life. The attitude one has toward gaining knowledge affects the

quality of lifelong learning (Awe, n.d.), just as relationships depend on the attitude one has

concerning others (Batra, 2007). Within the workplace, one’s attitude also influences job

performance (Yehuda, 2009). Attitude remains a constant force, influencing decisions and

forming worldviews. This paper discusses two common attitudes. The first, a positive attitude, is

frequently touched on in inspirational books. The second, a negative attitude, is an obstacle on

the path to success. These attitudes greatly influence one’s perception of reality. To better

understand one’s attitude, this paper will consider the following three questions:

1. What are the differences between positive and negative attitudes?

2. What effects does attitude have on life?

3. How does one build a positive attitude?

Attitude affects all areas of one’s life, including lifelong learning, relationships, or success in the

workplace. A proper understanding of these concepts applies to even more aspects of life.

Building a positive attitude leads to a successful life.

Two Attitudes

To understand the difference between the two attitudes, first one must define what is an

attitude. According to Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary, it is “a mental position” (Cayne,

1992, p. 60). One’s mind forms a position, and evaluates events according to this position.

When examining a given event, the reality of the situation one sees from the perspective of an

individual’s attitude. “Humans are naturally opinionated. We form likes and dislikes almost

from the moment we first gain consciousness. Our stances on issues and our attitudes about
 The Attitude Factor 5

things are directly linked to our innermost thoughts and feelings” (Spaulding, 2008). Thus, one’s

ideals and moods can influence ones attitude towards reality.

A Positive Attitude

Those who maintain a positive attitude are often referred to as optimists. The old saying

“Every cloud has a silver lining” is their motto. Because of their positive position toward all

aspects of life, the optimists are generally successful in their undertakings, because they refuse to

let failure stop them. Failure is seen as simply another step in the process of succeeding. When

discussing the long list of failed experiments involved in finding a suitable filament for his

electric light bulb, Thomas A. Edison stated; “If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I

haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step

forward” (Edison, n.d.). He is among the most famous inventors in the world, yet he is reported

to have tried two thousand different materials in order to build his electric light bulb. It was his

attitude toward his work that allowed him to succeed.

A Negative Attitude

Those who have negative attitudes are pessimists. Their attitude towards learning,

relationships, and work build up barriers to positive events. Pessimists allow even small issues

to reinforce their negative attitude.

For example, they go to make coffee and find there is none left. They start the day by

sarcastically thinking, “Oh great, this going to be a good day”. Then, for the remainder of

the day, they allow minor inconveniences, unexplained challenges, or other less than

ideal events to reinforce their original negative thought (Pulsifer, 2008, How to

Recognize A Negative Attitude).

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This negativity is an obstacle to success. Only by consciously making the

decision to change one’s attitude, and taking steps to make that change

happen, can this obstacle be overcome (Gracia, n.d. 5 Steps to a Positive

Attitude).

The Effects of Attitude in one’s Life

Attitude, whether positive or negative, affects one’s life through one’s decisions, and

reactions. This section describes three of the most important areas of life in which a positive

attitude is necessary. Charles Swindoll realized the impact attitude had on his own life:

…I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my

choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my

successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me, or say about me, my

circumstances, or my position. The attitude I choose keeps me going or cripples my

progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there’s

no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for

me (2007, The Importance of Attitude).

Maintaining a positive attitude strengthens one to be able to work through any setback, and

succeed in any undertaking. An important area of life affected by attitude is learning.

Attitude determines how well one learns

One’s attitude may be helpful in learning, or it may become an obstacle. A positive

attitude increases one’s learning potential, while a negative attitude will often cause one’s efforts

to fail. One’s attitude in approaching learning is the most important aspect in the process.

Approach learning with a positive attitude. One should daily be learning new things,

new skills, and new ideas. A positive attitude toward learning is vital to learning. As Jide Awe
 The Attitude Factor 7

stated, “You absolutely must be willing to learn and you must love learning” (Awe, n.d.

Learning Starts with Attitude). This attitude towards learning is a great boost to anyone who

chooses it. By electing to love learning, one will work harder for one’s knowledge. The harder

one works to earn one’s knowledge, the more one will value it. Keeping a positive attitude

toward learning continues past the high school and college years, extending throughout one’s

career, and even into retirement. Learning is necessary, ergo; a positive attitude toward learning

is equally necessary. Lifelong learning takes many forms, whether training for a job, figuring

out how a particular DVD player works, or learning to bake bread. In any situation, the attitude

one holds toward learning will dictate how well one succeeds. Beekeeping is a risky business,

and it is likely that a hive will fail in the first 2 years; yet the best beekeepers learn from the loss,

and start back over building a new colony (M. Adamson, personal communication, February 17

2010). By always looking for the best possible aspects in an experience, even a failure can

become simply another step in the process of learning a new skill.

Seek out new ways to learn. Because of the importance of learning continuously, one

cannot simply wait for learning opportunities to come along. Being proactive in gaining new

skills beyond one’s job description may result in a promotion, or possibly even a new career. A

young man in seminary worked for a construction company in order to pay his tuition. His job

consisted of cleanup detail, yet he spent extra time after his shift learning how to lay tile from a

master craftsman. The best contractors now seek his skills out, because he spent extra time

learning to become more than just a good craftsman: he became the best (R. Clum, personal

communication, February 28 2010). Learning new skills such as woodworking, drawing, or a

new sport can also make great hobbies. Knowledge of history and mathematics is useful, and

quite interesting. Letting one’s skills stagnate only serves to hurt one’s chances at success. It is
 The Attitude Factor 8

vital to allow one’s attitude toward learning to help build a successful life.

Attitude affects relationships

Benefit others through one’s actions. Actions speak louder than words, as the old saying

goes. One’s actions, and the attitude behind those actions, greatly influence one’s relationships.

A positive attitude toward others is essential to building strong relationships. Through positive

attitudes, and positive actions, it is simpler to build up trust and strong ties with one another.

Vijay Batra explains it this way:

If we were to start thinking of what we can do for others instead of thinking about what

others can do for us, we will be in better control of our lives. For instance, instead of

asking what your parents, spouse, children or siblings can do for you, you should try and

do as much as one can for them. You'll empower yourself by adding strength to your

family and your life. (2007, Attitude Affects Relationships)

Spending extra time looking for ways to help those close to one will strengthen one’s

relationships. This shows others that one is truly interested in their comfort and happiness.

Keep a good attitude towards coworkers. Relationships in the workplace can be strained.

The rigors of daily work incur stress, and without a conscious decision to have a positive

attitude, one easily slips into negativity. This stands in the way of effective communication with

coworkers. Without correction, a negative attitude will hurt professional relationships. One who

chooses to cultivate a positive attitude will be a team player, building up one’s coworkers, and

increasing chances for a successful career (Allgeyer, n.d. Lose the Bad Attitude at Work).

Attitude Affects One’s Success

Learn from failure. Failure is an inevitable part of life. Even among the most famous

men in history, one finds evidence of many failed ideas and inventions. Perhaps the most famous
 The Attitude Factor 9

of these is Thomas A. Edison, renowned for inventing the electric light bulb. Though he was a

demanding employer, he did not resent failure. He saw failure as another step in the process of

solving a problem (M.I.T, n.d. Thomas Alva Edison). Edison held 1,093 patents at the time of

his death, yet failure was an everyday part of his life. The difference between this man, and the

failed experimenter, is their attitude toward work and failure. Edison knew that failure is

necessary to success.

The people who are successful in this life believe that failure is not an option. Whether in

their personal or professional life, if they are knocked down, they make the conscious

choice to get back up. No matter the cost, they continue to move straight ahead instead of

worry about past mistakes and wallow in their misery. That is what is the difference

between successful people and those that continue to fail (Smith, n.d, Failure is Not an

Option).

Success happens when one refuses to let failure rule one’s life. Looking for the hidden blessing

in the midst of a failure is a characteristic of one who works with a positive attitude.

Work with a positive attitude. Success in the workplace is entirely dependant on the

attitude that one has toward work. Working with a negative attitude serves to hurt one’s

productivity. The effect of adjusting one’s attitude to be positive is enormous; one will be able

to work much more efficiently and produce high quality results (Oneng, n.d., Attitude

Adjustment: Ways to Transform Your Career). It is crucial to maintain a positive attitude at

work; unfortunately, 20 percent of workers see employment as nothing more than a source of

income, another 15 percent are frustrated with work, and want their employer to make them

happy (Tischler, 2005, Attitude Adjustment). According to Tamara Erickson, investing more

mental energy into work is essential to productivity (Management Issues, 2005). The American
 The Attitude Factor 10

Time Use Survey found that the average person spent 8.8 hours at work, or related activities

(2009). One spends one third of one’s life working; yet, 35 percent of the workforce has

negative attitudes toward their occupation. Employers are blamed for enforcing negativity

toward work (Tischler, 2005, Attitude Adjustment); however, the original attitude of the workers

is the root of the problem. There is one answer to this negativity; individuals must adjust their

own attitude toward work (Young, 2004, Attitude Adjustment: Ways to Transform Your Career).

Building a Positive Life Attitude

In order to have a positive life attitude, first one must invest time and effort into building this

attitude. Overcoming a negative attitude is difficult, however once accomplished, one may reap

the benefits of a positive attitude.

Positive attitude helps to cope more easily with the daily affairs of life. It brings optimism

into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worry and negative thinking. If you adopt it as

a way of life, it will bring constructive changes into your life, and makes them happier,

brighter and more successful. With a positive attitude you see the bright side of life,

become optimistic and expect the best to happen. It is certainly a state of mind that is well

worth developing and strengthening (Sasson, 2009, The Power of a Positive Attitude).

The first step in the process of changing one’s attitude is to examine the attitude, in order to

know what to adjust.

Examine one’s outlook towards learning, personal, and professional attitudes

Changing one’s life attitude from negative to positive is not easy. Close examination of

one’s feelings and reactions is necessary. A good first step is to examine one’s focus. Mary

Misciscine uses the example of two adults, Sylvia and Jack. Both are invited to a wedding, but

their attitudes vary drastically. Sylvia immediately starts to think of all the things she dislikes
 The Attitude Factor 11

about weddings (e.g., tacky wedding music, terrible food, having to talk to boring people),

having already decided to be unhappy about the wedding. Jack on the other hand, decides to

have a positive attitude. He starts thinking of the fun things that happen at weddings (e.g.,

dancing, cake, meeting new people). Jack had already examined his feelings, and decided

beforehand to have a good attitude, no matter what happened. When they went to the wedding,

they both found exactly what they had expected. Sylvia had a terrible time, refusing to allow

herself any enjoyment. In contrast, Jack enjoyed every moment of the wedding, taking pleasure

from the experience (Miscisin, 2002, Alter Your Life by Your Attitude). Had Sylvia examined

her attitude, she would have realized that her focus was on having a bad time. The difference

between having a bad time and a good one is examining one’s focus, and then changing it.

Adjust one’s attitude to look for the best. Changing one’s focus requires changing one’s

thoughts. This may be difficult for those used to pessimism, so it is key to decide beforehand to

stand firm against negative thoughts and feelings. To change the habit of pessimism, one must

start by catching negative thoughts. Evaluate what is happening; figure out what the facts of the

matter are. Do not jump directly to worst case scenarios, instead, calmly find the facts, and make

decisions from there. Jerry Lopper gives an example: “When your old car suddenly makes a

strange noise you may jump to the pessimistic conclusion that repair will be costly, but maybe a

minor repair will solve the problem” (2007, The Power of Positive Attitude). Even when an

incident occurs which seems terrible, one should stay positive, let go of the negative situation,

look for good things that may happen because of the bad event, and above all, be patient. Good

things do not always show themselves immediately (Hall, n.d. Change Your Attitude, Change

Your Life!). By deciding upon a new attitude toward life, one is in control, choosing positive

actions, and positive results. “A changed attitude changes results” (Burns, 2008, An Attitude
 The Attitude Factor 12

Reality Check).

Conclusion

Success in learning, relationships, and in the workplace, is entirely dependant upon one’s

attitude. A negative attitude yields only negative results, hurting one’s chances for success. A

positive attitude towards life produces positive results, benefiting those who decide to have a

positive outlook on life. These optimists are successful entrepreneurs, political leaders,

inventors, scholars, and a myriad of other vocations. Failure is their stepping-stone to greatness;

they refuse to allow life to beat them down. By examining one’s attitude, and changing one’s

focus to be positive, success is within anyone’s grasp.

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