He struggled to sell pots and pans door to door. Fast forward forty years and Zig Ziglar talked about attitude to thousands of people during 50 global speaking engagements a year.
Considered one of the best motivational speakers of our time, Zig had a thing or two to say about the importance of a positive attitude. His top quotes include:
- “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
- “Our favorite attitude should be gratitude.”
- “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”
- “Until you are happy with who you are, you will never be happy because of what you have.”
Our attitudes comprise feelings and opinions based on life experience, what we see and hear, and exhibit in our behavior. Most of us are aware of our tendencies toward a positive or negative attitude. If we tend toward the negative, although not always easy, we can choose to change, and God’s promises can help.
Gain Attitude Altitude With Godly Love
For example, Matthew 5:44-48 says to love your enemies. We may think this is too difficult at first, but look beyond the command to the promise. These verses offer us deliverance from mind-rotting hatred. How do we choose to love others? Help them, look for some part of them we can be thankful for, and pray for them. We are training our minds to operate in Godly love, realizing His promises.
Luke 6:37-38 tells us not to judge, giving us a great mental release, great freedom. We don’t have to fix, compete, belittle, or manipulate someone else because we are whole in God’s love, which we can extend to others.
Attitude changes happen in small steps of improvement. Don’t enter gossip, criticize, or take up offenses. All of us are just trying to do our best in this crazy world, and we all deal with our own unique set of issues.
Dealing With The Negative
However, some people are going to be haters, annoying, and irritating us. We can choose to walk away, let it go, not be so quick to defend ourselves, or offer our opinion on everything. Unless someone is physically assaulting us, what does it matter? Will we remember the incident next year or in 5 years? In the light of eternity, is it worth the fight?
You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.
Matthew 5:43-48 MSG
Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.
Luke 6:37-38 MSG
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