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Got an attitude? Is it helping you, or could it use some work?

Bill's sitting in traffic ' his attitude stinks, so he feels angry at the other drivers for being in the way. He wishes they'd disappear ' they're not even human to him anymore, and he doesn't remember that they've got lives, destinations, concerns, joys, and dreams. He just wants them gone. He knows he did this to himself, by leaving too late to account for traffic. He hates being late, but he's finding himself late more and more often. But, right before he left, he grouched at his family, couldn't find his socks, and then decided he had to take a quick peek at email. So he left no room to spare in his drive time. And now he's looking at a sea of brake lights, waiting through several turns of the traffic light. Fuming. He can feel his pulse on his forehead, a ticking bomb. Finally, he sees the hold-up ' an accident. He feels awful because of his selfish impatience ' for a moment.

OR

Tracy's sitting in the same traffic jam, even though she left early. But she's listening to an audio book, reading when she's at a standstill, or taking the time to breathe deeply and meditate. She's counting her blessings, taking time to be grateful for all that she is, has, and hopes for. She wonders about the other drivers around her, and notices some really grouchy guy in the car to the right. Looks like he might explode ' is that his pulse beating on his forehead? She says a prayer for him and all the other drivers, too. She knows that when she finally gets where she's got to go, she'll be able to cope with any effects of being late from the traffic.

There is a world of difference between these two commutes. And it's all because of attitude. No big surprise, your attitude affects your success in every area of your life, from your relationships to your finances, from your physical health to your appearance, from how long you'll live to how effective you'll be in your business.

An attitude is made of our thoughts, feeling, and ultimately, our actions. It's formed in that order too. Our thoughts create our feelings which direct our actions.

Notice that thoughts come first. It might seem strange, because it certainly seems like our feelings hijack our thoughts and propel us into actions ' not the other way around. But you'll see, as we look at how your mind works, that your thoughts are the real powerhouse ' the boss, the launch pad that sets everything else in motion. Each thought is powerful ' for your good or your harm.

Feelings can be overwhelming, seemingly uncontrollable, driving you toward inevitable actions. It's critical to learn how to control your feelings and actions before anything is set in motion. Either way, for good or for bad results, our thinking and feeling determine how things work out in our lives. Our results are just that ' the effects of what's going on inside us.

Before you can really get going on the direction of change, you've got to do an attitude check first. You can read until your eyeballs fall out and your fingers get calloused from turning pages, but without the right attitude in place, you're wasting your time. With a poor attitude, there's no information on Earth that can help you change your life. Take a look at your attitude about yourself, your life, the people in your life, your finances, your health, and your place in the universe. How does it look? There are lots of things in life you really don't have much of a choice about, but your attitude is not one of them. Your attitude is completely up to you. We can tell you right away, that a positive, grateful attitude is the best way to go. Gratitude - for what you've already got, for where you live, who you know, all that you are, and all that you're not ' is the place to start. How can you ever expect to receive more in life, to be more in life, without appreciating how far you've already come?

Your attitude is a choice. Success is all about making great choices, and this is the first one you need to tackle. It might take practice. It might take reminding yourself. It might even take a 'fake it 'til you make it' stance, but you've got to do it.