ATTITUDE: BEHAVIOURAL CONTEXT

A lot of times Samera complained that people didn't get on with her. She felt disappointed because a lot of her friends avoided her. Whilst she poured out her heart to me, I was thinking in my mind what the problem could be. It's not a good place to be when it seems as if almost everything and everyone is against you. So I took a decision to know Samera better. 
In the course of getting to know and discovering who Samera was, through random conversations, chats and meet ups after work, I had to be as truthful as I could be to her. Just few weeks of hanging out with her I realised how difficult she was. She had a lot of ‘baggage’, issues, and wrong ideas; name it, which influenced a lot of her actions and reactions. I told her the truth which she didn't quite agree with (obviously). She tried to make me see reasons before finally agreeing to take personal responsibility to make necessary changes.  So just today, Samera got back to me with a lot of changes she has seen in and around her stating also that her relationships with her parents, colleagues and friends   have also improved a lot.  She also said something to me today which I found really remarkable.  In her own words she said: "Laura I've changed the way I do things and guess what! I feel happier, at peace and excited about the future" Imagine what a change in one's attitude can do!  I told her I was going to share this experience on my blog and here I am!
What is attitude?    There are too many definitions, interpretations, connotations given to attitude but in my own words I see attitude as one's  frame of mind, reactions, perspectives, behaviour, and  inclination. It could also be favourable or unfavourable evaluative reaction toward something or someone exhibited in ones beliefs, feelings, or intended behaviour .What does attitude mean to you?

 Over the years I have come to agree and believe in these powerful words 'your attitude determines your altitude' which means no matter who you are and what your goals and aspirations in life are, if your attitude is wrong, you may not be able to sustain and maintain your dream success when you eventually get there! Attitude can never be measured but it forms an important and integral part of almost everything we do on a daily basis from your relationship with your parents, spouse, siblings, friends, colleagues to the strangers and everything else around you!      
From how we talk, carry ourselves, respond to issues around us in general, and live when no one is watching, our attitude can either make us or mar us. What's your reaction to good instructions, feedbacks to move you forward? Do you pick up bad habits like swear words you hear people use just to feel and look cool?  Do you find it offensive and avoid undue familiarity with whoever that provides good critiques maybe your parents, your spouse, friend, colleague at work or even a complete stranger? This post  might be a wakeup call for you because there's only an extent any one with such an attitude can go in life. 
Although the views on Attitude are inexhaustible, another reason I chose the behavioural context is because of the extent our behaviours can determine our journey of life and because we pick up different information every second, which we sometimes can't tell whether they are acceptable or not. But it's important for you to know this- that everyone does it never makes it acceptable or right.   I love carrying out a personal self-appraisal on myself just to check where adjustments need to be made in my life and that includes in my attitude.  I also know that charity begins at home. If a mum for example cannot tell her 5 year old to take her feet off seats meant for sitting down in the train, she's definitely going to grow up believing it is an acceptable way to behave, making it a lot difficult for anyone trying to impact the right norm into her in the future.

I will end this post with  W.Clement Stone's quote on attitude- "There is little difference in people, but that difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude and the big difference is whether it is positive or negative".