Attitude-is-contagious

Attitude is Contagious

Recently I was reading a series of articles on palm reading.  You know, the lines in your palm that help to tell your story.  As I study the basics of palm reading, I discovered that many of their explanations of the little lines going in various directions indeed fit me quite well.  Even some of my shortfalls were in there as well.  I was really surprised that somehow, how we live and make choices were recorded in those tiny lines.

If our choices apply to our life as a whole, then they surely apply to our attitude.  We do choose our attitude and most know that certainly have control over how we think and behave.  We also want to keep in mind that our choices also influence other people around us.  I have heard it said that there are two kinds of people, polluters, and purifiers. Polluters are those people that when they show up to team meetings, everything seems to take a turn for the difficult.  Purifiers are those people who when they show up to a meeting, the air gets a lift, a refresh.  Suddenly the possibilities are enhanced and everything makes a turn for the better.

Which are you?  I have certainly been both, and I’m not talking about for just a short time.  I had a position working for someone for whom I had a difficult time getting along.  It was tough and one day I found myself at a team meeting as a polluter.  The words that came out of my mouth before the meeting had even started surprised me.  Afterward, I was embarrassed and thought, why did I say that I didn’t even know if it was true or not.  Catching ourselves is always a good thing and a wonderful skill to teach our kids.  I have a little catch-phrase that I use with myself now which snaps me out of my doldrums.

A purifier takes those same words as the polluter but somehow purifies them into possibilities, positive ideas, and helps them to breathe life into the session.  My take on this is that when we’re positive and keep our attitude in check even when it is difficult, we find more positive things come to us.  Polluters are pessimists and usually get what they are expelling to everyone else.  The art in living a quality life lies in taking the difficult moments in life and catching yourself sliding into the polluter’s zone and pulling yourself out.  It is during those moments that you raise your level of consciousness about many others around you.

Here’s what I know:  Become a purifier in your life.  Take the thoughts and frustrations of others and breathe new life into them.  Help people move on and then become known as someone who is positive and fun to be around.  One day someone will say to you, “You’re always so positive and uplifting.  I like being around you?”

I have a  post here for your to click that is from my Parenting on Purpose series, Parenting on Purpose: Attitude – Dr. Rich Patterson (pattersonphd.com)

From my alma mater, Northwestern University, I have a link for your here on attitude, Are attitudes contagious? – Northwestern Now

Yours for a better life,

Rich