We Named Her "ATTITUDE"
By Michael Angier
The boat we have now is the third boat I've owned. But it's the first
one I've ever given a name.
It was an interesting process. Because two other people own a share in the
boat, there were four of us who had to agree on a name. The list was long and
there were many good ones, but we soon realized that since any one of us had
veto power, coming up with one we all agreed upon wasn't going to be easy.
I wanted a name that really meant something to me and about my
work--something distinctive. Some of the names we thought of were a bit too
cute--like "Member Ship" and "A Mission". (I figured if I was sailing, someone
could say I was on "A Mission".) Some others were just too common--like
"Odyssey" or "Carpe Diem".
In the end we decided that "Attitude" was one we all liked.
Of all the principles and ideologies I teach--some profound, some just
plain practical--attitude is a big one.
I give a great deal of credit to my successes to having a good attitude.
When I lost everything in a business failure over twenty years ago, I told
people I left with only two things--my rhododendron plant and my attitude. I
don't know where the plant went, but I've maintained my attitude pretty well
over the years--even through some very dark times.
I don't have much patience for people with poor attitudes. You know the
kind I mean; they're the ones who brighten up a room by LEAVING. I recognize
that everybody has bad days, but you can tell a lot about somebody by how they
act when things aren't going well.
When I work with a company, I can get a pretty quick feeling about the
organization by witnessing the attitude of the management and staff. Part of a
company's culture is its attitude. When it's good, things work. When it's not;
things don't. Be assured that the morale and attitude of a company are the
RESULT of things going well--not the cause.
Being around people with good attitudes is a joy. It lifts the spirits of
everyone present. There's no doubt that a good attitude gets things going
better sooner. And since your attitude is contagious, it's important to make
sure yours is worth catching.
Attitude is one of those little things that makes a big difference. Zig
Ziglar says, "It's your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your
altitude."
So now I sail on "Attitude" and the more I do, the better my attitude is. I
get great ideas while I'm out on the water, and also it's just plain fun.
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