The Power of a Positive Attitude: Your Path to Success

Author: Dee Quinn Mills

When Armstrong Electronics opened its new plant, "Al Armstrong," the company's founder and president, appointed "Steve M." to supervise the morning shifts and "Gary J." to lead the night shifts. Both came to him with excellent credentials; each had a degree in electrical engineering and had supervised manufacturing units in electronics companies, applying the technical standards required for the position. Why then did "Gary's" night shift consistently outperform "Steve's" day shift? The day shift team not only failed to meet production quantity and quality standards, but it also had a high rate of employee absenteeism and turnover, and some employees filed complaints with the union for unfair treatment. Meanwhile, the night shift achieved an enviable production rate, had a low rate of employee absenteeism and turnover, and not a single complaint was filed. Armstrong discussed this situation with "Roger Fritz," an internationally recognized consultant and the author of this book. After Fritz met with both men and observed them at work, he issued his report, stating: "The answer is one word: attitude." He explained that Gary's positive attitude inspired workers to confront obstacles and work hard to overcome them. However, when Steve faced similar problems, he came up with haphazard (and often unsuccessful) solutions, and his workers were not motivated to put in the effort to find better solutions. Fritz then developed a practical plan to help Steve change his attitude, while also reinforcing Gary's positive outlook. Attitude is not just about how we see the world around us, but also about how we interpret situations, circumstances, and the actions of others. In other words, for your perspective on the world around you to be meaningful, you must consider how others interact with it; a positive attitude without interaction is meaningless. Both Steve and Gary may have had the same technical competence, but the attitude each brought to work was the distinguishing factor between Gary's success and Steve's failure. Many people do not realize the actual reality of the attitude they live with at various stages of their lives; they become accustomed to behaving in the same way to the extent that they do not realize the root causes of their success or failure. In this book, you will develop a better understanding of the impact of your attitude, and equally important, the book will also help you see more clearly how a positive attitude affects not only your performance but also the results achieved by others around you. Why is this important? The secret lies in three reasons: First, because attitude affects your appearance, what you say, and what you do. Second, because it affects how you feel, both physically and mentally. Third, because it affects how successful you are in achieving your goals. What could be more important than that? Your attitude comes from within; if you believe you can change it from negative to positive, you have taken the first step to change it. In general, you have the ability to control your thoughts, and the world makes way only for determined people who mock the barriers that hinder others and the obstacles that others fall before. Building any positive attitude begins with self-confidence; confidence enhances ability, multiplies energy, supports mental faculties, and increases strength. Your thoughts will support the power of your belief, the weight of your decision, and the impact of your confidence. Likewise, continuous affirmation of your ability to achieve success and your determination to achieve it will remove past difficulties, break through obstacles, mock times of hardship, and strengthen your desire to achieve. It will also enhance your natural faculties and abilities and keep them on the right track.