Pessimist – Complains about wind.

Optimist – Waits for wind to change.

Leader – Adjusts the sails.

Jane: Joe, isn’t this sort of saying the same thing as “Day 4: Want To,” and “Day 8: Positive?”

Joe: It’s the ole “yes” and “no” thing, Jane!

Jane: Great, I should have never asked!

Joe: “Want to” and being “Positive” are both attitudes, but they center on a certain drive. Attitude centers around your overall view of life.

Jane: I can agree with that. And, because this book is about being happy, we want happy attitudes?

Joe: Yes, but there is more – Attitude involves more than being positive and having “want to” to make it through everyday life. As we know, there are just days when being positive is almost impossible. Not only is our mood foul, it seems as though the whole world is against us. We can’t dream because we are trapped in this awful thing that we don’t even know what it is. We will just call it an ill mood. 

Jane: I’ve had just a few of those days over the years!

Joe: Sadly, for some these moods can last much longer than a day or two.

Jane: It’s not hard to fall into that situation.

Joe: So, even though we may not be able to force ourselves to be positive and we may not have a whole lot of “want to,” we must always understand that our attitude is strictly ours to control, and we must not give that control to anyone else.

Jane: Even though we are mad at the world, and nothing is going right, we still have the ability to control our attitude … whether we choose to or not.

Joe: And remember, it’s not expected to change us to a positive attitude immediately, but to simply keep reminding ourselves that we have the ability to change our mood and our disposition.

Jane: I guess by continually reminding ourselves that we can change our attitude makes us feel like we are in control.

Joe: Yes, and when we feel in control we are much more likely to change to a positive place much faster.

Jane: I understand the picture now, Joe!  Both the optimist and the pessimist are waiting for an external force to change things whereas the leader relies on his own self.

Joe: You said it all, Jane!

Your Path: To find your path you must be a leader, a leader of one! When you understand this, you will be able to stay true to your path!

Soulful:

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” 

  – Thomas Jefferson 

Be sure you have the right attitude!

Song: 

“Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” 

– Jimmy Buffet

Life is full of choices: e.g. study hard/goof off; go to college/go to work; get married/stay single; have children/don’t have children. Jot down a couple of these choices that stick out in your life:

At the time you made these choices did you recognize them as choices or were they just the “next steps in life”?

When the paths we choose are simply “next steps,” we fall into the optimist/pessimist role. When we consciously choose our path, we play the role of a leader, a leader of one. When you are leading you, you will always have the Attitude, Attitude, Attitude