I know as a Christian (and leader of my family and KWM) I’m not supposed to feel this way, but… After a wonderful few days of rest, replenishment, and extra family time over the Thanksgiving weekend, I desired a bit more.
As Sunday evening drew closer, I started sensing the weight of the responsibilities facing me on Monday, and I felt a little bit of a cloud starting to creep over my soul. Can you relate? I sensed it in my kids too.
They had a great few days as well, and were not looking forward to getting up at 6a.m. to make it to school by 7:15, and hitting the books again. So I decided to do something about it. During our Bible Reading/Prayer time with my twin 13 year-old boys, we read Proverbs 4 and discussed what the following verse meant in relation to the importance of guarding one of our most valuable assets: Our Attitudes
“Keep your heart with all vigilance for from it flow the springs of life.” (Prov. 4:23 – ESV)
When the Bible speaks of the heart it refers to our intellect, our emotions, and our ability to choose. One application of this reality is that our attitudes greatly shape our emotions, our choices, and our outcomes.
Optimistic Attitudes Matter
In the book Learned Optimism, by Martin Seligman, the author recounted a study of over 1,000 insurance agents, comparing the results of those who had been hired on the basis of passing an aptitude test, to those who had flunked it. The surprise result was that those who bombed the aptitude test actually fared better in their job performance and productivity by a high margin.
How? In addition to I.Q. differences it turned out there was another important difference. Those who flunked the aptitude test were optimists, and the so called “smart guys” weren’t. Optimistic Attitudes Matter. As Henry Cloud says it in his book Boundaries for Leaders,
“Take someone who can’t but thinks they can, and compare them to someone who can, but thinks they can’t. The optimist will win every time.”
The Optimistic Advantage
Other studies support the advantage that the Tiggers have over the Eeyore’s of this world. They live longer, and have less stress. They are more resilient, more creative and better problem solvers. They also land more jobs, are promoted more and are more productive in the workplace.
“Keep your heart with all vigilance for from it flow the springs of life.” (Prov. 4:23 – ESV)
Hope for the Pessimist and Those Who Lead in Attitude Shaping
As I learned in a recent Integrity Moments blog, according to learnmyself.com, research shows that only 25% of pessimism is genetic. The other 75% is learned behavior!
There is hope for the pessimist! There is hope for the times when even optimists have difficulty in keeping a positive attitude. This is especially true for Christians who have the power of the Holy Spirit of God indwelling them and rely on the transformation truths and promises of scripture such as:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God…will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7 – ESV)
Not wanting to give in to the negativity of my thoughts and emotions on Sunday night, and wanting to coach my kids in the importance of guarding our hearts (attitudes) with diligence, we thought about all that we had enjoyed over Thanksgiving weekend.
We chose to give thanks to God, and offer ourselves afresh to Him for the privilege of work and study in the week ahead. It was an attitude game changer…
“Keep your heart with all vigilance for from it flow the springs of life.” (Prov. 4:23 – ESV)
How 5 Minutes a Day Can Make You and Those You Lead More Optimistic and Productive
Are you wanting (or could I say “needing” even) to become more optimistic and productive? Do you desire to lead your family or those you serve at work to possess better attitudes, become more productive, and live more healthy lives for God’s glory?
Try one of the following practices for 5 Minutes a Day, for 21 days in a row. Ponder how you could incorporate such a practice at home or work to help others in their Attitude Development. I have practiced these. They certainly help me in developing a more positive attitude. I know they will help you as well.
1. Gratitudes: record and give thanks to God for 3 new things each day.
2. Journal: about one positive thing daily.
3. Exercise: even if it’s a 10-15 minute walk during lunch.
4. Meditate: memorize a verse mentioned in this blog and quote it throughout the day.
5. Random Act of Kindness: find a small way every day to do something selfless for another.
Need further inspiration or motivation? Check out a TED talk I recently viewed entitled The Happy Secret to Better Work and the research sited on how we can “re-wire” our brains in just 21 days with such disciplines.