Once we understand the difference our attitude makes in our lives, we can appreciate the fact that it helps us to make our lives so much more enjoyable and successful.

The reason our attitude makes so much difference is that it seems to control nearly everything else about us. It helps us get better grades in school, become more generous and courteous to others, and enjoy better health.

People with a positive attitude enjoy life to the fullest. They tend to work better and get along better with others than do their peers who lack such attitudes. They seem to expect good things to happen to them and usually they get what they expect because they become the kind of people who earn their good fortune.

The right sort of attitude seems to give us a unique control over our future. It helps us take a casual, more easygoing, calm, more serene attitude toward things and situations that put others in a nervous sweat. We can concentrate completely and take our work seriously and do it surprisingly well without, at the same time, becoming a fanatic about it.

A person with a bleak, failure-oriented attitude cannot change it to a winning attitude in a single day. But with conscious practice, it is astonishing how every aspect of our lives can be changed for the better. Controlling our attitude is the first step in maximizing our potential.

Maintaining a positive or negative attitude? The choice and the consequences are yours.

Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.

? Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in ezines, newsletters, and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required. Contact him at: executiveandgroup-consulting@yahoo.com when you use this article.

Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, Management Consultant and Trainer, conducts lectures, seminars, webinars, and writes articles on his theme: "... helping you maximize your potential." He offers management, marketing, and parenting resources at hisMaximizing Y our Potential blog.