THE POTTERS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

 

TOPIC: THE RIGHT ATTITUDE (1)

 

8th may 2024

‘Let each esteem others better than himself.’ Philippians 2:3 NKJV

Observe:

1) The right attitude makes a difference in your relationships. Former US President Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘The most important single ingredient in the formula for success is knowing how to get along with people.’ And Paul writes: ‘Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others’ (Philippians 2:3-4 NKJV). If your track record with people isn’t too good, maybe you need to look at your attitude. While it’s true that some people just seem to have a winning way with others, someone with limited people skills can learn to win with others if he or she decides to change their attitude and approach.



2) Your attitude makes a difference in how you face life’s challenges. During the Korean War when US Marine Chesty Puller found himself surrounded by eight enemy divisions, his response was, ‘All right, they are on our left. They are on our right. They’re in front of us. They’re behind us – they can’t get away from us this time!’

In life, problems, challenges, obstacles, and failures are unavoidable. So, how are you going to deal with them? Will you give up? Will you let conditions make you miserable? Or are you going to attempt to make the best of things? Which path you select depends on your attitude. The old saying is true: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Remember the times in your life when you have grown the most. Weren’t they times when you had to overcome obstacles and problems?

Why is having a positive attitude important?

If you have a positive mental attitude, you can deal with stress and negative situations in a much healthier way.

For example, you may not fear stress as something physically deprecating and dangerous, but as a means to a greater end. Other benefits include creating actionable goals based on dreams, making and maintaining more positive relationships, and giving your immune system a well-needed boost.

A positive outlook manifests in the following ways:

You’ll be more optimistic.

Having a positive outlook naturally results in a more optimistic view of life. Rather than thinking “the grass is greener on the other side,” you’ll feel that you’re already on greener grass. You’ll see the positive side to most situations, helping you deal with negative events.

You’ll deal with disappointments and failures more easily.

They’ll still be hard, but you’ll cope and bounce back. Not only that, but you can accept that things turned out the way they did, rather than being in denial. Those with a negative attitude will dwell and ruminate over negative events.

You’ll be more empathetic and understanding toward others.

With a positive attitude, you learn to see the thoughts behind people’s actions and why they may have acted the way they did. Rather than jumping to a harmful conclusion, you can understand where people may be coming from.

You’ll be more grateful.

A positive outlook will teach you to be grateful for the good things in your work and life. You’ll approach every day with an appreciative mindset.

Clearly, having a positive attitude is immensely beneficial, yet it’s easier said than done. By adopting some of the following tips, you can maintain a positive attitude through highs and lows and improve your work ethic.

SoulFood: READ >>>>>>>> Deut 14-17, Mark 7:1-13, Ps 37:25-31, Prov 12:1-3.