The Attitude Factor:

The Impact of Attitude in Lifelong

Learning, Relationships, and Success in Life

Isaiah J. Roberts

North Star High School

[Date]
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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. Work with a positive attitude

2.

3. Work past a failure

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

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Abstract

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

a situation, as well as dictating one's response to that situation. It is important to approach

lifelong learning and relationships with a positive attitude. By consistently approaching each

area of one's life with a positive attitude, 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
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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
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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
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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

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

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

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