What is attitude? Do we actually know what the real meaning is? Most of us generally misunderstand attitude as a person’s temperament or something related to ego. As people say “He/She has a lot of attitude”. But only a few know what attitude actually means. So let me first clear what attitude actually means.

Attitude is basically:

• How we feel about a person or situation.
• How we act in a given situation.
• What we belief and what is our viewpoint about a person or situation.
• It also portrays our mindset.
  For example; passion for a sport, dislike for a certain actor.

DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ATTITUDE?

• Positive attitude
• Negative attitude
• Neutral attitude
• Sikken attitude

WHAT IS POSITIVE ATTITUDE?

Positive Attitude has many benefits which affect other kinds of behavior in a good way. People need to understand how much a positive attitude it takes to keep the work going and progressing. It means that having a positive mindset and thinking about the greater good, no matter whatever the situation is. For example; a person with a positive attitude and mindset will look for the good in the other person, no matter how bad they behave or how bad is their attitude.

“A positive attitude bring strength, energy, motivation and initiative”

WHAT IS NEGATIVE ATTITUDE?

Negative Attitude is something that most of us should avoid but are not able to do so. Our first instinct in any situation is a negative mindset or a negative thought. People with a negative attitude generally avoid the good things in life and only think about whether they will fail or be rejected. They often escape and run away to avoid the tough situations in life.

“A negative attitude is like a flat tire. You can’t go anywhere until you change it”

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY NEUTRAL ATTITUDE?

Neutral Attitude is where the mindset is a neutral one and there is no doubt, neither is there any kind of hope. People generally tend to ignore the problems in life and they wait for some other individual to take care of their problems. They generally have a lazy attitude and are often less emotional. They never feel the need to change themselves as they can simply live with the way they are.

“Silence is the best response to a Fool”

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY SIKKEN ATTITUDE?

Sikken Attitude is the most harmful type. It has the potential to destroy every image that comes in connection with a positive image. This type of attitude is more negative and is very destructive. It often reflects the mind’s negativity. It is very important to let go off such an attitude for the betterment of the self and others around you.

“Bad attitudes will ruin your team”

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO CHANGE ATTITUDE?
HERE WE GO WITH SOME ATTITUDE CHANGING STRATEGIES:

1. Refuse to repeat the negative thought:

• Create awareness and try to find out the source of negative thought.
• Finding the source helps it from further growing.
• Train yourself to stop at the first sign of negative thought and pause.
• Say yourself “I am not going there..”
• Requires a lot of will power.
• Requires deliberate turning from negative attitude or thought.

2. Choose to believe the truth over a negative attitude or feeling:

• Try to differentiate between how you feel and what is the truth.
• Try to understand it is your feeling that makes you feel bad.
• You don’t have to make it a negative attitude towards self.
• Say yourself “It’s just how I feel, I am not actually a bad person”.
• Try pausing yourself and stop turning feelings into negative thoughts.

3. Remember to speak as kindly to yourself as you speak to others:

• Sound’s simple right? It is easier when parents teach this to children.
• “Treat them as you want to be treated”
• People often teach others about the above but forget to implement on self.
• Ask yourself “What I think about self, is it actually true?”
• “Someone who knows me well would he/she have the same thoughts?”
• “Would someone else feel good if I would say such things to them aloud?”
• “Is it necessary for me to think in such a way?”

These questions would help one’s thinking and feeling a lot and help in change their mindset and attitude.

4. Find a reason for which you can be thankful:

I know this is the most difficult one to do, many of us cannot find a reason to be thankful of a certain situation and are also not able to think with a positive attitude about the situation. Carrying a positive attitude in a negative situation is very rare and difficult to do, but not impossible.

EXAMPLE:
SITUATION:

In the current situation of COVID-19 everyone is locked in their home and can rarely move out.

POSITIVE THINKING

• “I spent time with my family”
• “I got a break from work”
• “I play with my kids”
• “I came closer to my family”
• “I helped in household chores”
• “I feel calm and composed”
• “I have some ME TIME”

NEGATIVE THINKING

• “I got fired”
• “I want to go out”
• “I can’t do anything”
• “I don’t have enough income”
• “I need peace”
• “I can’t handle the lockdown”
• “I don’t have a much work”

Similarly, in each situation we need to train our mind to think and react with a positive attitude rather than a negative one.