Attitude has been defined in various ways by different people. Some see attitude as behaviour. Some, as bad character. Others as repetitive action towards something. But I see attitude as personality; the unique distinctive trait from person to person that makes us loved and longed-for or discarded and isolated.
Attitude first begins as thought. That is why it is said that "whatsoever a man thinks in his heart; so he is," (Proverbs 23:7). Then it becomes action, then behaviour, and into habit. When behaviour becomes habit it is attitude. Attitude like habit could be negative or positive. It is a common saying that "bad attitude is like a flat tire, you can't go far until it is fixed."
A story is told of a lady who bordered a public vehicle to attend a job interview. As she sat luxuriously to avoid being squeezed by other passengers, because she had just received the clothes she was wearing from the laundry, an elderly man came in to complete the role where she was sitting and demanded a little adjustment for him to be able to sit too, but this young girl paid deaf. The man noticing her silence appealed "my daughter, please could you adjust a little so that I may sit like you?" but the young girl refuted with a harsh voice "who's your daughter, don't call me your daughter, because you can never give birth to someone like me, nonsense!" and the whole passengers' attention were centred on her as she continued nagging, and everyone watched in awe. The man managed the little space he could until he highlighted. When the young damsel entered the office for her job interview upon arrival, the interviewer/employer was the man she had earlier insulted. If you were the one, what would you do?
A similar story is also told of a young girl too who was splashed a stagnant water by a car while she waited to board a cab to attend a job interview too. The driver immediately slowed and drove backwards to apologise but the lady, out of rage, poured her anger with abusive words on the driver. When she arrived at the interview room, upon changing the wet clothes, behold it was the driver that was the Managing Director and employer of the company who also didn't fail to recognise her.
The both stories above show bad attitude of ladies alone, but they are not the only ones with such. Everyone has bad attitude. But a good attitude, however, is the concern of this piece.
Try this out!
Number the 26 alphabets from A-Z and add the numbers from the letters that spells 'attitude' and see the figure/number you'll get as answer or result. E.g
A = 1 B = 2 C = 3 D = 4 E = 5 F = 6 G = 7 H = 8 I = 9 J = 10 K=11 L=12 M=13 N=14 O=15 P=16 Q=17 R=18 S=19 T=20 U=21 V=22 W=23 X=24 Y=25 Z=26.
Solution:
A (1) + T (20) + T (20) + I (9) + T (20) + U (21) + D (4) + E (5) is Equivalent to:
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100.
No wonder, Keith Harrell, Jeff Keller and co. chose to write there perspective about attitude in their book respectively posing that, indeed, attitude is everything.
Attitude cannot be bought or sold, but can be used as social capital. I never knew how this could be until I experienced it.
My story!
I had an urgent need to re-visit the place where I had my National Youth Service Call (NYSC), Ekiti State, Nigeria. Upon attending to the need as I arrived, I was also asked to collect some clothes from a tailor and drop some amount of money before collecting them. But when the tailor finished and called my cell phone I wasn't close to where she had wanted me to come and pick it up. So I directed her to a lodge nearby and told her that if she could drop it wit anyone she meets there and just mention my name to the person, her balance will be given to her. I waited for hours for her call to know if it was successful because I know I was known by a lot of residents there but who could be having money at the moment to take such risk was uncertain to me. So I had to call the tailor to confirm and she said "it is done sir, thank you very much." I was amazed and excited. Just like that?
When I returned, I went immediately to pick-up the clothes and to repay the one who had helped me. It was one of the tenants, Elite, who had taken the risk to pay the price. He said to me "Homason, here is your parcel, don't border about refunding me, you are a good man, I wish I could repay you for your much kindness and all i've learnt from you..."
When I returned, I went immediately to pick-up the clothes and to repay the one who had helped me. It was one of the tenants, Elite, who had taken the risk to pay the price. He said to me "Homason, here is your parcel, don't border about refunding me, you are a good man, I wish I could repay you for your much kindness and all i've learnt from you..."
I was shut of words, I could only smile and thank him as well. While I was about leaving someone approached me and requested for assistance to buy airtime, I immediately reached out for the money Elite left with me and gave to her. I was very glad I did so because I believe God has made it happen so. "Giving, as an attitude, is living" (John Mason).
I've come to realise that; attitude can give us things money cannot buy. It can take us to places and heights money cannot afford. Attitude is what can make us to be easily remembered or forgotten when we are gone.
What is your attitude towards those around you, is it good or bad?
Remember, Good attitude, a virtue everyone must desire and posses, is also a social capital.
Conclusion:
"If everyone would realise how much we all need each other, then the world will have no need to war" (Ben Carson). The world does not need change; but our attitude does.
God bless you.
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