Attitude is everything in the way you approach your personal and professional life. There is something to be said about your first response to the question

“Is your glass half empty or half full?”

Though the analogy is simplistic, the answer that first comes to mind will indicate whether you are naturally a pessimist or an optimist. A pessimist will point out all the things that are wrong or could potentially cause problems (glass half empty). An optimist will look for the opportunities in the challenges (glass half full).

Your attitude determines your success. If you see the negatives in a challenging situation, you will succeed in finding them. They are always there, and focusing on the negatives will lead you in maintaining a negative attitude. However, in the challenging situations, looking for the opportunities will guide your attitude to the positive side, even in the most difficult situations.

Work situations are a challenge when you report to a difficult boss, work with backstabbing and undermining peers, or hate your boring job. Looking for the opportunities everyday takes determination and persistence. It is a choice. Each day we choose what attitude we will have. Yes, it is a choice: your attitude is all yours. If you allow someone to affect your attitude, you are allowing him or her in essence to have some control over you. You can maintain a positive attitude regardless of what situation you face. But it is a choice you make.

On the job you could experience a difficult boss that is threatened by you, and seems to enjoy making your life miserable or demeaning the work you perform. It is still a choice to maintain a positive attitude or give in to the negativity of the situation. That is not to say that you do not have hurt feelings or get angry, but the way you respond and how you handle yourself and your responsibilities is up to you! Positive or negative, that is the choice. You can choose to do your best, or respond negatively by not finishing a project that he or she has requested. Your reaction is a reflection on you, and not on the difficult boss. Everyone will take notice when you continue to maintain a positive attitude in challenging situations. Some may even ask, “How do you do it?” This is the kind of attitude that gets respect and may even get you promoted.

Choosing a positive attitude everyday will become a habit if you practice looking for the positives in your life. Write down five different positive things that happened to you during the day before you go to bed. Let that be the last thing on your mind before you go to sleep. You may begin with something as simple as, “I woke up this morning, I am healthy, I have enough food to eat, my kids are healthy,” and go from there to identify other positive things in your day. Ending your day with positive thoughts will lead you toward waking with positive thoughts. If you need to, reread what you wrote the night before when you start your day, in order to begin with positive thoughts. Decide that whatever comes your way, you will expect to find something positive. You may have to search, but let the positive be your focus. It will not be long before your glass is half full!

I wish to thank the North Carolina Journal for Women for the opportunity to submit articles to this publication and would like to invite anyone reading the Journal to send in your human resource questions. We will make every attempt to respond to your questions in a confidential manner. Feel free to email them to: bweber@spectrumrecruiting.com.