| In aviation, the word "attitude"
is a term that refers to the angle that the plane meets the wind, if the wings are level
with the horizon and whether the aircraft is climbing or descending. The pilot who fails
to take responsibility for the attitude of his or her aircraft is in serious trouble. And
likewise, any leader who fails to control his or her thoughts and take responsibility for
their attitude runs a similar risk.
Sales Manager
As a sales manager, you not only set the pace for your
sales team, but you're responsible for setting the tone as well. For better or worse, the
leader's attitude is contagious and permeates throughout their organization. Positive,
upbeat companies are always led by positive, upbeat managers. While we're not always able
to control our circumstances, we can and must control how we respond to life's
difficulties, setbacks and challenges. We have a choice about how our day is going to be.
How often do you talk to yourself and what do you say?
Research in the field of psychology indicates that the
average person maintains an ongoing mental dialog, or "self-talk," of between
150 to 300 words per minute. Unfortunately, not all of these thoughts are positive. In
fact, it has been estimated that of the thousands of thoughts we have each day,
approximately 40 percent of them tend to be negative and self-critical in nature. Most of
us are generally unaware of this negative background chatter, let alone its sabotaging
effect on our emotional state, performance and well-being.
"Watch your thoughts, for they
become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for
they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your
character, for it becomes your destiny."
- Anonymous
Earl Nightingale, co founder of the Nightingale-Conant
Corp., concluded that life's "strangest secret" is that you become what you
think about all day long. If you want to know where your predominant thoughts lie and what
you believe, look at what you're experiencing in your life. Your thoughts are creative by
nature and express themselves through your emotions, which in turn, drive your actions.
Everything you say both positive and negative is in fact an affirmation and reflects your
belief.
Whatever you think, feel or say about your life today is
the scaffolding that builds the events you will experience in the future.
Affirmation and Positive Self-Talk
William Shakespeare said, "nothing is good or bad, but
thinking makes it so." The first step in the process of changing your belief system
is to monitor your thoughts and the next step is to control them through the power of
choice. Once you become conscious of the critical aspects of your internal dialogue, you
can choose to reframe your negative thoughts by substituting affirmative statements.
World-class athletes understand the value of affirmation
and recognize the impact of their mental preparation on their physical performance. They
use the power of positive affirmation to reduce anxiety and increase their expectation of
achievement. To be of maximum benefit an affirmation must be simple, encouraging and
stated in the present tense. By repeating an affirmation over and over again it becomes
embedded in the subconscious mind.
Do affirmations really work and can they propel a person
to greatness?
As a teenager beginning his boxing career in Louisville,
Kentucky, Cassius Clay would frequently affirm, "I am the greatest of all time!"
While many considered him boastful and few took this eighty-nine pound, twelve year old
seriously, Mohammad Ali used the power of affirmation to become the greatest boxer of all
time and arguably the most recognizable sports figure in the world.
Henry Ford was right when he said, "Whether you think
you can or think you can't - you're right." Your belief system, like your computer,
doesn't judge what you input; it simply accepts it as the truth. The key to cultivating
and maintaining a positive mental attitude is to use your power of choice and take control
of your thinking. It's a challenging task to develop a calm, focused mind, but well worth
the effort.
Action Plan: Here are some suggestions to help you have a
good day every day.
1. Establish the habit of getting up early.
2. Upon rising, read or listen to something positive and
inspirational. Clinical studies indicate that our mind is most receptive to suggestion
during the first 15-minutes upon awakening. Here are some books that will help you start
your day off on the right foot.
- "How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in
Selling" by Frank Bettger
- "The Magic Of Believing" by Claude M. Bristol
- "You'll See It When You Believe It" by Dr. Wayne
W. Dyer
- "The Power Of Positive Thinking" by Dr. Norman
Vincent Peale
- "Think and Grow Rich" by Dr. Napoleon Hill
- "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Dr. Maxwell Maltz
3. Take a few moments to consider the upcoming activities
of your day. Visualize events flowing. See people accept your ideas and your day unfolding
in a harmonious and productive way. This is a good time to verbalize your affirmations.
4. Take time for some physical exercise.
5. At noon, take a 10-minute mental break to relax and
replenish your energy.
© Copyright 2007 - John Boe International Publishing |
