The leadership team of Manufacturing Technology, Inc brought me in last week to deliver a two hour program on positive attitude and seeking excellence.
I love organizations like MTI that are already world class in their work, yet they want to continue to get even better.
The picture above was taken as I was going over steps we all can take each day to make the day as positive as possible despite all the curve balls that come our way.
Every Day is Special
I shared the example of how kids will hang over the tunnel railing after college football games hoping the players exiting the field will throw them up a sweat drenched, grass stained smelly head band or something! When the kids catch it, they grasp it and look at it with their mouths wide open as they can’t believe they have it!
That’s how we should approach each day. We have it!! Sure, there are challenges, but never forget the blessing of having that day. Rather than immediately thinking of all the challenges and problems on the plate that day, focus on the things you are grateful for that day.
Early Morning Sayings
Karen Phelps Moyer, whose husband Jamie in 2012 became the oldest pitcher to ever win a game in the Major Leagues at the age of 49 years, 150 days, is a very driven lady. She has seven kids, runs a successful foundation, and has her own business.
She always says don’t have a good day. MAKE it a good day.
That is a great point. Don’t let circumstances dictate your day. Take control of how you respond to things. Make your thoughts positive. Make up your mind that it will be a good day. As I once heard Sandra Herron say, you can celebrate life or suffer life and it has absolutely nothing to do with your circumstances.
Michael J. Fox, battling Parkinson’s, always tells his kids as they leave the house for school to
“choose happiness.”
Great point!
We are not born winners. We are not born losers. We are born choosers and the choices we make will impact our positive attitudes.
Get to … Have to
As you start your day, go with the approach of you get to do things rather than you have to do things. If it is a challenge at work, be thankful you have the job. If it is cleaning the gutters of the house, it shouldn’t be you ‘have to’ do it, but you ‘get to’ do it because you have the blessing of having a home (only 7 % of people in the world own a home).
As I explained to the leaders of MTI, Inc., when a problem comes your way, you have one of two choices. You can look at it as a threat and retreat a bit, or you can look at it as a challenge and roll up your sleeves and take dead aim at it.
Sunday, coach Jim Harbaugh guided his San Francisco 49ers to a win over the Seattle Seahawks. Ever since he was a kid, when he wakes up each day Harbaugh tells himself he is going to take on that day with a passion unknown to mankind.
You may not be the fiery, outgoing type that Harbaugh is, but it can be a passion within, a steely determination to make a difference, encourage others, be as positive as possible, and ‘steady get after it’ as my Uncle Everett says!
Next Tuesday, I will share more steps you can take each day to build a positive attitude and keep the darn thing! To bring these tools to your organization or event, contact me.
—Charlie Adams is a 1985 graduate of Ole Miss and is a native of Oxford. He is also the author of 4 books on positive attitude and peak performance, including 2013′s “How to Build a Positive Attitude and KEEP the Darn Thing!!” and “Stoke the Fire Within.” His books and motivational keynotes and seminars are designed to make sure events reach their objectives and to help create winning cultures. Email him at:Charlie@stokethefirewithin.com.
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