A PERSONAL LEARNING PAPER

ATTITUDE IS EVERTHING

Submitted to:
F. M. Sahoo
Subject: Organisational Behaviour I

Submitted By:

Kunal Sanjeev Kashikar

PGDM-RM I
U310023
Attitude is everything

Everything Starts with Attitude

The most important decision we make in our lives is the attitude we choose to express each
day when dealing with people or circumstances. This critical choice determines success or
failure in sales and in life. The key is the realization that we choose. That’s right. You
purposefully choose your attitude. Choosing a positive state of mind will lead to virtually
unlimited success in your career and your life. A negative attitude will lead to unhappiness,
poor relationships, difficulty at work and ultimately, poor health. In fact, the most common
causes of death in the United States are heart disease and cancer, which are related to stress.
Stress is a result of a negative attitude, carried out via perceptions, choices and behaviors.

Where Does Attitude Come From?

Many of us think that attitude comes from "Work," "People," "Traffic" and other examples.
determine your attitude. We may blame others, circumstances or events for our situation;
however, the key is our response to those things or people.

As you read this article, think about your day. We usually have a series of encounters with
things and people whom we feel cause a reaction in us. In fact, we choose that reaction. We
can choose to respond in a positive or negative way to these challenges. Your challenge,
especially in sales, is always to respond with a positive attitude.

To Quote –

IF AN EGG IS BROKEN BY AN OUTSIDE FORCE..A LIFE ENDS.

IF AN EGG BREAKS FROM WITHIN…….LIFE BEGINS.

GREAT THINGS ALWAYS BEGIN FROM WITHIN.

How do we define attitude?
An attitude is a hypothetical construct that represents an individual's degree of like or dislike
for an item. Attitudes are generally positive or negative views of a person, place, thing, or
event—this is often referred to as the attitude object. People can also be conflicted or
ambivalent toward an object, meaning that they simultaneously possess both positive and
negative attitudes toward the item in question.

Attitude is the one thing we can count on as a lifetime companion. Jobs and relationships
come and go, but your attitude is always with you. You can't take a vacation from yourself!

Attitude is based upon our expectations and perceptions -- our definition of reality.

Attitudes are judgments. They develop on the ABC model (affect, behavior, and cognition.
The affective response is an emotional response that expresses an individual's degree of
preference for an entity. The behavioural intention is a verbal indication or typical
behavioural tendency of an individual. The cognitive response is a cognitive evaluation of the
entity that constitutes an individual's beliefs about the object Most attitudes are the result of
either direct experience or observational learning from the environment

The three different attitudes:

1. Spectators with Neutral Attitudes

Spectators watch life happen and observe others. They play it safe and try to avoid
risks. Spectators are afraid of change. They often are tired or detached. Their defining
word is: Maybe. Their prevailing action: Coast...
Typical phrases: I doubt it, I might, I don't know and I'm hesitant.

2. Critics with Negative Attitudes

Critics comment on life and complain. They critique after the fact, imposing their
"expertise" and finding fault in others. Critics are annoyed about change. They often
appear frustrated or pessimistic. Their defining word is: No! Their prevailing action:
Stop!
Typical phrases: I can't, I won't, No way and You made me.

3. Players with Positive Attitudes

Players actively participate in life and embrace opportunities. They take risks and are
willing to make mistakes. Players enjoy learning and change. They usually are
confident and optimistic. Their defining word is: Yes! Their prevailing action: Go!
Typical phrases: I can, I will, I'm sure and I choose to.
The Power of 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.

The noted American trainer and motivator, Zig Ziglar, remarks: Positive attitude is the
result of new thinking …… believing in yourself, focussing on successes, learning from
failures and surrounding yourself with people who share your values, principles and thinking.
Positive attitude won’t let you do anything but it will let you do everything better than
negative thinking. It will let you use your abilities and capabilities.

Attitude is not simply a state of mind; it is also a reflection of what you value. Your
attitude is more than just saying ‘ I Can ’; it is believing ‘ I Can Do ’. It requires believing
before seeing, because seeing is based on situations; believing is based on faith and your
unwavering conviction.

As a human creature, all of us have been given the godlike power to create our own lives.
Every day, we utilise actions and ideas that will determine the nature of our tomorrows.
Those ideas and actions lead some people to extra-ordinary achievements; some to a kind of
average life; for some, those actions and ideas bring repeated frustration and problems.

We tend to live up to our expectations; and others give to us what we expect. Our attitude
is something we can control, and the people will reflect back to us the attitude we present to
them. It is, then, our attitude towards life that determines life’s attitude toward us. Law of
Cause and Effect.

Your attitude is the disposition you transmit to others. It is also the way you see things
mentally from the inside. The more you can focus on the positive aspects of your
environment and life, the easier it will be to feel and remain positive. Positivity can be
maintained through conscious efforts. When something negative diverts your mental focus,
you can bounce back and make the adjustments by following these time-tested techniques :
Positive attitude manifests in the following ways:

1. Positive ,constructive and creative thinking.

2. Expecting success.
3. Optimism, Being inspired.
4. Motivation to accomplish your goals.
5. Choosing happiness.
6. Not giving up.
7. Looking at failure and problems as blessings in disguise.
8. Believing in yourself and in your abilities.
9. Displaying self-esteem and confidence.
10. Looking for solutions.
11. Seeing opportunities.

A positive attitude leads to happiness and success and can change your whole life. If you look
at the bright side of life, your whole life becomes filled with light. This light affects not only
you and the way you look at the world, but also your whole environment and the people
around you. If it is strong enough, it becomes contagious.

The benefits of a positive attitude:

• Helps achieving goals and attaining success.

• Success achieved faster and more easily.
• More happiness.
• More energy.
• Greater inner power and strength.
• The ability to inspire and motivate yourself and others.
• Fewer difficulties encountered along the way.
• The ability to surmount any difficulty.
• Life smiles at you.
• People respect you.
Developing a positive attitude that will lead you to happiness and success:

- Choose to be happy.
- Look at the bright side of life.
- Choose to be and stay optimistic.
- Find reasons to smile more often.
- Have faith in yourself and in the Power of the Universe.
- Contemplate upon the futility of negative thinking and worries.
- Associate yourself with happy people.
- Read inspiring stories and quotes.
- Repeat affirmations that inspire and motivate you.
- Visualize only what you want to happen.
- Learn to master your thoughts.
- Learn concentration and meditation.

Changing the way you think and React

• Think cheerfully; you become what you think about all the day long. There is always a
silver lining in the dark clouds; so, look for the light and this will enlighten your mind and
thoughts process.

• Clarify your objectives; a person with a crystal-clear goal is more apt to have a positive
attitude than someone without an aim. A well-defined objective in life provides you direction,
helps you achieve better focus, and removes doubts and fears.

• Sense of humour; the more you develop it, the more positive you become. Find out the
funny aspects in every so-called problem and you can turn it into an opportunity.

• Mix up with winners when an odd situation confronts you. Negative losers can very
easily aggravate the situation. Avoid these ‘turkeys and fly with the eagles’ who radiate
enthusiasm, hope and optimism.

• Visualise success; you get what you expect. Positive expectations pave the way for
harmonious and positive times. Your imagination is the laboratory where you can rehearse
and preview the successful events.

• Pep talk, often called self-talk or monologue; it is your thinking aloud. When you assure
yourself over and again of good, your subconscious mind accepts and believes so, and your
actions radiate the same thought process.

Nowhere is your positive attitude more required and appreciated by others than your
workplace. There are sound reasons for this: about 30% of an employee’s waking hours are
spent at the workplace. Without some positive people around, this time could become
troublesome.
The NEGATIVE ATTITUDE – A SELF DESTRUCTION

People say, positive thinking and motivational reading can lift your morale and do seem to
work in helping you move in the direction of your ultimate destination. However for few
people, their existing manner of survival is exactly contrary to this belief, which brings them
a sense that they have already lost the battle of the life. They surrenders themselves to the
drift of life without complaining. Over the period of time, this latent accumulation of
suppressed negative emotions in their psyche develops negative attitude towards life and
brings apathetic resignation towards their monotonous lifestyle.

Normally people facing such adversities tend to blame others or even to their own fate for
their failures. Obviously they could not tolerate the grace, success or progress of others. They
get resentful and bitter when find that others are happy. Their surrounding factors can bring
only the resentment and ultimately frustration for them.

The Types of Negative Attitude

There are certain types of people that indulge in negative states of mind. They are all
different in some ways of thinking and acting, but the unifying feature of all of them is their
constant negativity. Here are several types of such personalities:

The miserable type. Such people are grumpy from the start of the day. They meet with
failures as soon as they wake up, which sets their day to be full of anger and hopelessness.

Silent killer. Such people usually understand psychology quite well. They use this
knowledge to gradually introduce hatred, anger and low self-esteem in others. They do this
by making remarks about how others behave or look. They know that their remarks are
destructive, but others may not realise that.

Drama queen This is the most common type. Their emotions range from anger to self-pity,
and every small incident can be turned into the storm. They seem to like the fact that they can
change how others feel and be the centres of attention.

Such people are needy and insecure, they crave for constant reassurance

Woe is me. Such people love to talk about their failures to everyone who would listen. They
do that purely to get attention and sympathy of others.

The paranoid type. They perceive others to be constantly trying to worsen their lives. If they
go shopping, they think that shopkeepers are trying to rip them off

Trigger type. Such people seek ways to release their anger or self-pity. An example would
be a person who gets into the conversation with someone who is sure to make him feel angry
or hopeless. This way he destroys his mental balance and health.
The Causes of Negative Attitude

Limiting beliefs. The main cause of negative attitude is wrong beliefs about life or certain
aspects of it. You see the life through your beliefs and if your beliefs are negative, you will
see your life as unhappy or downright pointless.

Negative family/friends. It seems that your friends and family affect how you feel and if
your family is negative, they cause your bad attitude. That's, however, not the case because
only you can decide how you feel.

You always have choices. If your family is negative, for example, you can choose to live
away from them or at least see them less often. If your friends are negative, you can simply
refuse to be with them. This will definitely be beneficial because then nobody will reinforce
your negative beliefs and thus cause your negative attitude. Remember, however, that you
attracted your friends and because of that you have the power to attract better ones.

Negative environment. If you do not see the relation between your thoughts and the
environment that you find yourself in, it's no surprise that you assume that you have no power
to change it. So when you think you are powerless over your environment and your
environment is negative, that causes your negative attitude.

To change that you need to understand that your thinking led you to this environment and it
wasn't so simply by accident. So to change your negative environment you need to change
your thinking which will be described further on in this article.

Unsatisfying circumstances/life. If you find yourself complaining about how unhappy you
are, it's exactly the reason you have such a negative attitude. It may be hard at first to
understand and accept this but the quicker you do, the quicker you will be able to change
your life for the better. Your complaining alone can keep you stuck in the circumstances that
you find unsatisfying. So to change your life you should stop complaining and start working
on improving your life.
The Consequences of Negative Attitude

Negative attitude Shortens your life. The more often you become angry, upset or frustrated,
the less days you will have left to live.

Such attitude Creates unpleasant future. Your present actions determine your future. If
you constantly moan and are dissatisfied with your circumstances, in the future you are sure
to meet with more of the things you are unhappy about. The more you complain, the more
things you will find to complain about.

It harms others. Your negative mood affects people around you. You should never make
others feel bad because by doing so you are contributing not only to your own misery, but to
the unhappiness of others also.

Such attitude produces negative effects. Every cause has an effect and so your negative
attitude (cause) produces negative circumstances. Mostly people think it's the other way
round, but that's not the case. Your thinking causes your circumstances.

How To Change Negative Attitude

It is possible to change negative attitude, but it will not be easy. If you lived your life seeing
only dark colours, you cannot turn this around in a day. However, by taking small and
consistent steps you will gradually become a happier person.

The best way to change your mental state is by understanding the outcome of negativity.
Carefully read the consequences of negative attitude and they will serve as reminders as soon
as your mood goes down.

As soon as you spot a negative aspect of a situation or thing, try your best to find its
positive aspect instead

You should try to understand what causes your negative attitude. It might be that you live
with a person who constantly ruins your mood or it may also be something to do with your
past. Maybe something happened to you that made you deeply upset and you have not
recovered from that incident since..

Positive thinking is not enough. If you cannot find the cause of your negative attitude, you
will only cover this attitude with positive words which will do no good to you. So try to find
the cause of it and this will allow you to change your negative attitude.

Sometimes causes are internal rather than external. In fact, any external cause will lead
you to the deeper, internal cause. For example, you might understand that you are negative
because your family makes you negative. But when you dig deeper, you may realize that you
feel unworthy as a person and you project this unworthiness onto your family and that makes
you angry at them. It's true that the qualities you don't like in other people are yours, so it's
not others that are at fault but you.
Improving your attitude?

7 Ways to Improve Your Attitude:

1. Choose to be Enthusiastic
Corporate presidents voted it the most valuable personality trait. It's the biggest single factor
in successful selling. Think enthusiastically. Talk enthusiastically. Become enthusiastic by
acting enthusiastic. Your thoughts and actions establish your level of enthusiasm.

2. Be Alive to Everything You Do

Walk fast. Put a bounce in your step. A vigorous, hearty handshake indicates you are glad to
be alive and happy to be with the other person. A good smile radiates enthusiasm. Put spirit
into your speech by varying the tempo, raising and lowering the pitch, changing the tone and
modulation. Force yourself to act with enthusiasm, and soon you will feel enthusiastic.

3. Broadcast Good News

No one ever made a friend or accomplished anything worthwhile by transmitting bad news.
Good news, on the other hand, promotes good-will and spreads enthusiasm. The message,
"Hey! I've got good news" gets the attention of everyone. Take sunshine to school or work.
Always aim to make the person you talk to feel better than they otherwise would.

4. The Power of Visualization

Imagination powerfully influences successful outcomes. When imagination and willpower
compete, the imagination always wins. Force of will never keep you striving for success, but
proper visualization will. All peak performers visualize success. Before you try to do
anything, close your eyes and visualize yourself doing it well.

5. Positive Self-Talk
What did you say to yourself today? Did you moan and groan about everyone at school or
work? Did you complain about your parents to your best friend? What we think is 100%
reflected in how we feel. If all we think about is negative thoughts, our actions will be
negative. Remember "I'm a 10! I'm Healthy! Wealthy! Happy! I do what I ought to do, when
I ought to do it, whether I want to or not! No Debate! I love me!"

6. Love Others
How can we become more loving? By bringing encouragement, optimism, and hope to all
that we meet. By helping others feel comfortable in our presence. By spreading joy and
goodwill. By being concerned about the wishes and desires of others. By understanding,
caring, accepting, and forgiving. By becoming more concerned about helping others achieve
their individual desires.

7. Never Miss 1 to 6 Above

Workplace and Attitude
Managers reply on the positive attitudes of employees to establish a team spirit. Positive
attitudes among a few employees make others’ job easy. Besides, positive employees devote
their time and concentrate on solutions, and radiate enthusiasm that is contagious. This
creates a very pleasant work atmosphere where negative thinkers don’t find much room to
pollute the environment

Both positive and negative employees’ attitudes travel quickly in the workplace. Working
around positive persons is a delightful and exciting experience. He/she can make you feel
more motivated. Likewise, working near a negative person is not liked by many.

A positive work environment speaks its merits for itself. It is obvious from noticing the
productivity and efficiency of workers who not produce at a high level but also makes it
easier for others on the team to stay positive and produce more. In the same manner, negative
workers can turn others negative.

The more positive the workplace, the higher the departmental productivity. There will be
more output, higher productivity, better quality, fewer mistakes and less complaints. When
employees feel easy and relaxed, they concentrate better reach their potential. Besides,
employees are more tolerant of each others and work is viewed as an enjoyable challenge
than as a boring task.

CONCLUSION

Thus attitude is the key that opens your mind and heart to better job performance, an
enriching career and life . All of us want success; for that we need positive mental attitude.

Negative attitude says: you cannot achieve success.

Positive attitude says: You can achieve success.

Negative attitude serves no good to you or others. The quicker you start changing, the sooner
you will notice the benefits you will get. People will start treating you differently and you
will notice opportunities everywhere you go. You will start seeing the world as full of
happiness and possibilities.

So from now on, start planting seeds of joy, love and happiness. This will pave your way to
success in everything you do.

All of us are responsible for our lives. We produce causes all day long, and the environment
can return to us only a corresponding effect. Consequently, we determine the quality of our
own life.

As soon as you begin to change your attitude, your surrounding will start changing,

So We say ATTITUDE IS Everything.

REFERENCES:

1. www.google.com