A Positive Attitude on Steroids

Positive: Characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.

Attitude: A complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

Definitions courtesy of wordnet.princeton.edu

I started reading Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Gold Book of YES!Attitude (published by FT Press) last week. I took this pocket-sized gem to the gym with me to read while exercising on the stationary bike. Big mistake. I found myself focusing on digesting the book more than working out. It didn't take long for me to realize I needed to sit the book aside, concentrate on my workout, and read this book when I am not distracted.

If you're like me, the first question you ask when you see this book's title is what in the h*ll is a YES! attitude. Gitomer relates a YES!Attitude to winning a big game. "When something great happens, no one screams, 'Positive!' Everyone screams 'YES!' That's the difference. That's the YES! factor." (page 23)

So, is it no longer enough to have a positive attitude in today's society? Is the classic text The Power of Positive Thinking by Normal Vincent Peale obsolete?

I do not believe so. There is more to having a positive attitude than just seeing the proverbial glass as "half full." That is only one part of the whole equation. See, having a positive attitude isn't enough; we must develop a positive lifestyle.

Peale once said "Change your thoughts and you change your world." Those words still ring true. The battle for a positive attitude starts in the mind. But in order to succeed, we need to take that attitude and transform it into a complete lifestyle.

In the final chapter of Gitomer's book, he writes, "A YES!Attitude is your ability to think, listen, speak, and react in a positive way."

Notice the subtle difference? A positive attitude must move beyond the mind in order to transform day-to-day living. A positive attitude must be reflected through positive actions, positive speech, and positive interactions with those whose lives intertwine with ours each and every day.

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DISCLAIMER: Gitomer's book was published by one of the imprints of the publishing firm where I work. The comments about this book are mine solely and are not influenced by my relationship with the publisher nor should they be interpreted as coming from the publisher.