Think about this question, how many choices do you make everyday? The reality is that you make thousands of choices everyday. Moment by moment you choose your perspectives, perceptions, attitudes, and actions. The journey of life is all about choices. Choice paints the color of your emotional space and determines the outline of your future. The cumulative impact of your life is determined by how you manage the power of choice. There are three choices that will determine the quality of your future and the effectiveness of your leadership. This month we will talk about the first step, which is attitude.
What I want you to remember about attitude is that attitude is a choice, not a gimmick. Some people resist any discussion of positive attitude; they see it as a motivational gimmick, always looking for the good and never being realistic about the bad. I have even been told that the use of the phrase “positive attitude” is passé and simple-minded as an industry standard. But I have found that attitude is a very important personal choice that determines the quality of your future and the degree of your success. The only difference between a positive and negative attitude is personal choice, and the choice of a positive, productive attitude is the most important trait of the effective leader.
Every thought you entertain during the day is either positive or negative; your thoughts either energize or drain your vital emotions. There is no in-between. The questions below require some deep self-analysis and soul-searching, but they will help you understand the habits of your thinking. Ask yourself these questions:
• Am I generally positive or negative?
• Do I expect to succeed or fail? 
• Do I seek to support or criticize?
• Do I seek to praise or find fault?
• Do I focus on my strengths or seek to hide my weaknesses?
• Do I seek to learn from my mistakes or be defensive about my perfection?
• Do I expect the best or the worst?
• Do I seek to build others up or tear them down?
• Do I most often fear failure or desire achievement?
• Do I seek to encourage or discourage?
• Do I focus on other people’s strengths or weaknesses?
Find a trusted friend to review your answers to these questions and give him or her freedom to give you honest feedback. We all have blind spots that are hidden to us but very obvious to others. You can make great strides of achievement when you confront your blind spots with courage. Search for and find ways to change or improve your habits of thought. You must consciously practice positive expectancy. It is not a natural mindset; it requires consistent practice. Leaders rise or fall to the quality of their thinking and expectancy.
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