Is your attitude important?
Attitude plays a huge role in your life experience. If you want to feel satisfied, change your perspective from negative to positive. Make the shift from “have to” to “get to.”
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in April 2016 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehension.
Your attitude dictates the quality of your experience in life.
If you look at everything as a “have to” instead of a “get to,” you’ll likely be pretty unhappy and unsatisfied with your life.
Before we talk about how to make the mental shift, let’s take a look at how this idea played out with a group of people I got the pleasure of speaking to in Canada.
The “get to” Canadian crowd
I was in Canada for four TechTour Live events sponsored by DOW AgroSciences.
I spoke to over 1200 farmers over 5 days at 4 events. They came together to learn how to be more efficient in planting, spraying, increasing their crop yields and enjoying their lives.
Part of my Get Switched On message was about remembering they are the #1 asset in their operation. They must think long-term and take better care of “me” and remember the best gift they can give others is taking care of themselves.
One day they will go to the doctor and get a scary diagnosis. Now they will have to spend major time, effort, stress and money to REVERSE something they could have easily avoided!
At the last event in Brandon, Manitoba, there was a late spring storm and the roads were a little dicey. They’re a hearty bunch in Canada, used to driving in the snow and virtually EVERYONE drove a 4-wheel-drive truck.
In Brandon that morning, the room was packed and the “no-show numbers” were tiny.
I praised them for coming and asked them to think back to when they were making their decision to come this morning.
What did that conversation sound like?
Did they say, “I signed up and paid for this thing, I HAVE to go.”?
Or did they say, “What a great opportunity to spend the day with 300 other farmers and learn how to be even more efficient. This will be fun, I am so happy ‘I GET to go’.”?
You can bet that the latter attitude facilitates significantly better results in life.
Attitude at work
I walk my talk in this area, too.
I’m blessed to have the opportunity to do what I do, but the travel can be difficult.
It’s easier when I remember that I “GET to ” go on the road and speak to these audiences.
If I’m saying, “I HAVE to go to New Orleans to open the Smoothie King convention for their hundreds of franchisees,” it’s time for me to get out of the business!
What’s your attitude?
Use these stories as a reminder to keep a positive attitude.
Don’t say, “I have to go in to work today,” “I have to go give the baby a bath,” “I have to go work out,” or “I have to attend this training class.”
Say, “ I GET to.”
We should feel fortunate to have the job, have the child, be healthy enough to go to the gym and to have the opportunity to attend the class.
You can choose what your approach will be.
Keep your “get to” attitude
Take a moment and think about your attitude toward a variety of things in your life.
Do you say “got to” or “have to?”
Start a streak today of realizing all the things you “get to” do and why that is a blessing.