changing one's attitude story essay

Marc and Angel Hack Life

Practical Tips for Productive Living

7 Short Stories that Will Change Your Attitude (and Spare Some Pain)

Written by Marc Chernoff // 20 Comments

“There’s always room for a short story that can transport people to another time and place.”

Let me distract you for a moment…

It’s story time!  😉

I’ve told the following short stories to our students , readers, and conference attendees dozens of times over the past decade, and I usually get thanked for doing so.  The people and circumstances differ slightly every time I tell them, but the core lessons and narratives are grounded in truth.

My challenge for you today is to read the first story below.  Then come back tomorrow and read the next one.  Give yourself a little extra perspective every day this week.  See how doing so changes your thinking from day to day…

Story #1:  What Life is All About

Once upon a time, there was a girl who could do anything in the world she wanted.  All she had to do was choose something and focus.  So, one day she sat down in front of a blank canvas and began to paint.  Every stroke was more perfect than the next, slowly and gracefully converging to build a flawless masterpiece.  And when she eventually finished painting, she stared proudly at her work and smiled.

It was obvious to the clouds and the stars, who were always watching over her, that she had a gift.  She was an artist.  And she knew it too.  She felt it in every fiber of her being.  But a few moments after she finished painting, she got anxious and quickly stood up.  Because she realized that while she had the ability to do anything in the world she wanted to do, she was simply spending her time moving paint around on a piece of canvas.

She felt like there was so much more in the world to see and do—so many options.  And if she ultimately decided to do something else with her life, then all the time she spent painting would be a waste.  So she glanced at her masterpiece one last time, and walked out the door into the moonlight.  And as she walked, she thought, and then she walked some more.

While she was walking, she didn’t notice the clouds and the stars in the sky who were trying to signal her, because she was preoccupied with an important decision she had to make.  She had to choose one thing to do out of all the possibilities in the world.  Should she practice medicine?  Or design buildings?  Or teach children?  She was utterly stumped.

Twenty-five years later, the girl began to cry.  Because she realized she had been walking for so long, and that over the years she had become so enamored by everything that she could do—the endless array of possibilities—that she hadn’t done anything meaningful at all.  And she learned, at last, that life isn’t about possibility—anything is possible.  Life is about making a decision—deciding to do something that moves you.

So the girl, who was no longer a girl, purchased some canvas and paint from a local craft store, drove to a nearby park, and began to paint.  One stroke gracefully led into the next just as it had so many moons ago.  And as she smiled, she continued painting through the day and into the night.  Because she had finally made a decision.  And there was still some time left to revel in the magic that life is all about.

Story #2:  When Our Old Stories Hold Us Back

She rarely makes eye contact.  Instead, she looks down at the ground.  Because the ground is safer.  Because unlike people, it expects nothing in return.  She doesn’t have to feel ashamed about her past.  The ground just accepts her for who she is right now.

As she sits at the bar next to me, she stares down at her vodka tonic, and then the ground, and then her vodka tonic.  “Most people don’t get me,” she says.  “They ask me questions like, ‘What’s your problem?’ or ‘Were you beaten as a child?’  But I never respond.  Because I don’t feel like explaining myself.  And I don’t think they really care anyway.”

Just then, a young man sits down at the bar on the opposite side of her.  He’s a little drunk, and says, “You’re pretty.  May I buy you a drink?”  She stays silent and looks back down at the ground.  After an awkward moment, he accepts the rejection, gets up, and walks away.

“Would you prefer that I leave too?” I ask.  “No,” she says without glancing upward.  “But I could use some fresh air.  You don’t have to come, but you can if you want to.”  I follow her outside and we sit on a street curb in front of the bar.

“Brrr… it’s a really chilly night!”

“Tell me about it,” she says while maintaining her usual downward gaze.  The warm vapor from her breath cuts through the cold air and bounces off of the ground in front of her.  “So why are you out here with me?  I mean, wouldn’t you rather be inside in the warmth, talking to normal people about normal things?”

“I’m out here because I want to be.  Because I’m not normal.  And look, I can see my breath, and we’re in San Diego.  That’s not normal either.  Oh, and you’re wearing Airwalk sneakers, and so am I—which may have been normal in 1994, but not anymore.”

She glances up at me and smirks, this time exhaling her breath upward into the moonlight.  “I see you’re wearing a ring.  You’re married, right?”

“Yeah,” I reply.  “My wife, Angel, is just getting off work now and heading here to meet me for dinner.”

She nods her head and then looks back at the ground. “Well, you’re off the market… and safe, I guess.  So can I tell you a story?”

“I’m listening.”

As she speaks, her emotional gaze shifts from the ground, to my eyes, to the moonlit sky, to the ground, and back to my eyes again.  This rotation continues in a loop for the duration of her story.  And every time her eyes meet mine she holds them there for a few seconds longer than she did on the previous rotation.

I don’t interject once.  I listen to every word.  And I assimilate the raw emotion present in the tone of her voice and in the depth of her eyes.

When she finishes, she says, “Well, now you know my story.  You think I’m a freak, don’t you?”

“Place your right hand on your chest,” I tell her.  She does.  “Do you feel something?” I ask.

“Yeah, I feel my heartbeat.”

“Now close your eyes, place both your hands on your face, and move them around slowly.”  She does.  “What do you feel now?” I ask.

“Well, I feel my eyes, my nose, my mouth… I feel my face.”

“That’s right,” I reply.  “But unlike you, stories don’t have heartbeats, and they don’t have faces.  Because stories are not alive—they’re not people.  They’re just stories.”

She stares into my eyes for a prolonged moment, smiles sincerely and says, “Just stories we live through.”

“Yeah…  And stories we learn from.”

Story #3:  The Weight of the Glass

(Note: This story is an excerpt from our NYT bestselling book .)

Twenty years ago, when Angel and I were just undergrads in college, our psychology professor taught us a lesson we’ve never forgotten.  On the last day of class before graduation, she walked up on stage to teach one final lesson, which she called “a vital lesson on the power of perspective and mindset.”  As she raised a glass of water over her head, everyone expected her to mention the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” metaphor.  Instead, with a smile on her face, our professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?”

Students shouted out answers ranging from a couple of ounces to a couple of pounds.

After a few moments of fielding answers and nodding her head, she replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass is irrelevant. It all depends on how long I hold it.  If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light.  If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache.  If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. In each case, the absolute weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”

As most of us students nodded our heads in agreement, she continued.  “Your worries, frustrations, disappointments, and stressful thoughts are very much like this glass of water.  Think about them for a little while and nothing drastic happens.  Think about them a bit longer and you begin to feel noticeable pain.  Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed, incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.”

Story #4:  Just One Small Sip

Once upon a time there was a woman who had been lost in the desert for three whole days without water.  Just as she was about to collapse, she saw what appeared to be a lake just a few hundred yards in front of her.  “Could it be?  Or is it just a mirage?” she thought to herself.

With the last bit of strength she could muster, she staggered toward the lake and quickly learned that her prayers had been answered: it was no mirage—it was indeed a large, spring-fed lake full of fresh water—more fresh water than she could ever drink in her lifetime.  Yet while she was literally dying of thirst, she couldn’t bring herself to drink the water.  She simply stood by the water’s edge and stared down at it.

There was a passerby riding on a camel from a nearby desert town who was watching the woman’s bizarre behavior.  He got off his camel, walked up to the thirsty woman and asked, “Why don’t you have a drink, ma’am?”

She looked up at the man with an exhausted, distraught expression across her face and tears welling up in her eyes.  “I am dying of thirst,” she said, “But there is way too much water here in this lake to drink.  No matter what I do, I can’t possibly finish it all.”

The passerby smiled, bent down, scooped some water up with his hands, lifted it to the woman’s mouth and said, “Ma’am, your opportunity right now, and as you move forward throughout the rest of your life, is to understand that you don’t have to drink the whole lake to quench your thirst.  You can simply take one sip.  Just one small sip… and then another if you choose.  Focus only on the mouthful in front of you, and all your anxiety, fear and overwhelm about the rest will gradually fade.”

Challenge yourself throughout the day to focus solely on the sip (task, step, etc.) you’re actually taking.

Honestly, that’s all life is—small, positive actions that you take moment by moment, and then one day when you look back it all adds up to something worthwhile—something that’s often far better, and different, than what you had imagined when you started.

Story #5:  Where We Can Go When We Feel Lost and Alone

She notices the people sitting in a small sports bar across the street.  They’re cheering and chatting.  They look so alive.  She wants to cross the street and join these people just to connect with them—to be a part of something.  But a subtle voice that comes from within, that whispers from the open wounds in her heart, holds her back from doing so.  So she keeps walking.  Alone.

She walks to the end of the city center where she sees a dirt path that leads up a grassy hill.  The hill, she knows, overlooks a spiritual sanctuary.  But it isn’t the sanctuary she wants to visit tonight—not yet anyway.  It’s a warm, breezy Saturday night and she wants to find a place outdoors with sufficient light so she can sit and read the book she’s grasping in her right hand.

But reading isn’t what she really wants.  Not deep down.  What she really wants is for someone—anyone at all—to tap her on the shoulder and invite her into their world.  To ask her questions and tell her stories.  To be interested.  To understand her.  To laugh with her.  To want her to be a part of their life.

But it isn’t even this connection with someone new that she wants most.  At least not at the deepest level.  At the deepest level, in the core of her soul, even fleeting connections with others seem to interfere with what she desires most.  Which is to know that she’s not alone in the world.  That she truly belongs.  And that whatever she was put here to do, in time, will be done and shared with others who deeply care.

This young woman left a substantial segment of her life behind to be in this small city tonight.  A few months ago, she was engaged to a strapping young businessman, managing a fast-growing start-up company, working long, hard days and enjoying the fruits of her labor together with a deepening community of friendships in Manhattan.

In a period of just a few months, her fiancé and her split and decided that it was easiest to shutdown the company and divide the monetary remains rather than attempt co-ownership.  As they began the process of shutting down the company, she learned that most of the seemingly deep friendships she had made in Manhattan were tied directly to her old business affairs or her business-socialite of an ex-fiancé.

While this young woman didn’t consciously expect such a rapid, tragic series of events, it also wasn’t totally unexpected.  Subconsciously she knew that she had created a life for herself that was unsustainable.  It was a life revolving around her social status in which all of her relationships brought with them a mounting and revolving set of expectations.  This life left no time for spiritual growth or deep connection or love.

Yet, this young woman is drawn to spirituality, connection and love.  She has been drawn to all three all her life.  And the only thing that steered her off course into this unsustainable lifestyle was the careless belief that if she did certain things and acted in certain ways she would be worthy in the eyes of others.  That her social status would procure lasting admiration from these people.  And that she would never feel alone.

She realizes, now, how wrong she was.

The young woman walks up a steep paved road on the outskirts of the city center.  She feels the burn in her calf muscles as she marches higher and higher.  The road is, at first, filled with quaint boutique shops and young couples and friends, but as it advances uphill they give way to small cottage homes and kids playing with flashlights in the street.  She keeps marching higher and higher until she reaches a clearing where there is a small public park.

In this park, a group of teenagers are huddled around two guitarists who are strumming and singing an acoustic melody.  “Is it a popular song?” she thinks to herself.  She isn’t sure because she hasn’t had time lately to listen to music.  She wants to join the group.  She wants to tell the guitarists that their music is incredible.  But she hesitates.  She just can’t find the nerve to walk over to them.

Instead, she sits on a park bench a few hundred feet away.  The bench overlooks the cityscape below.  She stares off into the distance and up into the night sky for several minutes, thinking and breathing.  And she begins to smile, because she can see the spiritual sanctuary.  It’s dark outside, but the sanctuary shines bright.  She can see it clearly.  She can feel its warmth surrounding her.  And although she knows the sanctuary has existed for an eternity, her heart tells her something that stretches a smile across her cheeks: “This sanctuary is all yours tonight.”

Not in the sense that she owns it.  Nor in the sense that it isn’t also a sanctuary for millions of other people around the world.  But rather in the sense that it belongs to all of us as part of our heritage, exclusively tailored for every human being and our unique needs and beliefs.  It’s a quiet refuge that, when we choose to pay attention, exists all around us and within us.  We can escape to it at any time.  It’s a place where we can dwell with the good spirits and guardian angels that love us unconditionally and guide us even when we feel lost and alone.

Especially when we feel lost and alone.

Story #6:  What We Have Been Searching for All Along

About a decade ago on his 37th birthday, after spending his entire adult life loosely dating different women, he finally decided he was ready to settle down.  He wanted to find a real mate… a lover… a life partner—someone who could show him what it meant to be in a deep, monogamous, trusting relationship.

So, he searched far and wide.  There were so many women to choose from, all with great qualities, but none with everything he was looking for.  And then, finally, just when he thought he would never find her, he found her.  And she was perfect.  She had everything he ever wanted in a woman.  And he rejoiced, for he knew how rare a find she was.  “I’ve done my research,” he told her.  “You are the one for me.”

But as the days and weeks turned into months and years, he started to realize that she was far from perfect.  She had issues with trust and self-confidence, she liked to be silly when he wanted to be serious, and she was much messier than he was.  And he started to have doubts … doubts about her, doubts about himself, doubts about everything.

And to validate these doubts, he subconsciously tested her.  He constantly looked around their apartment for things that weren’t clean just to prove that she was messy.  He decided to go out alone to parties with his single guy friends just to prove that she had trust issues.  He set her up and waited for her to do something silly just to prove she couldn’t be serious.  It went on like this for awhile.

As the tests continued—and as she, clearly shaken and confused, failed more and more often—he became more and more convinced that she was not a perfect fit for him after all.  Because he had dated women in the past who were more mature, more confident, and more willing to have serious conversations.

Inevitably, he found himself at a crossroads.  Should he continue to be in a relationship with a woman who he once thought was perfect, but now realizes is lacking the qualities that he already found in the other women that came before her?  Or should he return to the lifestyle he had come from, drifting from one empty relationship to the next?

After he enrolled in our Getting Back to Happy Course a few days ago, desperately looking for answers, this is the gist of what Angel and I told him:

One of the greatest lessons we learn in life is that we are often attracted to a bright light in another person.  Initially, this light is all we see.  It’s so bright and beautiful.  But after a while, as our eyes adjust, we notice this light is accompanied by a shadow… and oftentimes a fairly large one.

When we see this shadow, we have two choices: we can either shine our own light on the shadow or we can run from it and continue searching for a shadow-less light.

If we decide to run from the shadow, we must also run from the light that created it.  And we soon find out that our light is the only light illuminating the space around us.  Then, at some point, as we look closer at our own light, we notice something out of the ordinary.  Our light is casting a shadow too.  And our shadow is bigger and darker than some of the other shadows we’ve seen.

If, on the other hand, instead of running from the shadow, we decide to walk towards it, something amazing happens.  We inadvertently cast our own light on the shadow, and likewise, the light that created this shadow casts its light on ours.  Gradually, both shadows begin to disappear.  Not completely, of course, but every part of the two shadows that are touched by the other person’s light illuminate and disappear.

And, as a result, we each find more of that bright beautiful light in the other person.

Which is precisely what we have been searching for all along.

Story #7:  Naked and Free

She has light brown hair, a seductive smile, and the most engaging set of hazel-green eyes I’ve ever seen.  It’s the kind of engaging I can’t ignore—the kind that makes me want to engage too.  Because she’s mysterious.  And I’m curious.  And I need to know more.

Yet, I do my best to avoid making eye contact.  So I stare down at the pool table and pretend to study my opponent’s next move.  But only long enough for her to look the other way, so I can once again catch a glimpse of magnificence.

I do this, not because she intimidates me, but because I think she may be the girl Chad met last night.  A wild night that, he said, “involved two bottles of port wine, chocolate cake, and sweaty bed sheets.”

Then, just as her eyes unexpectedly meet mine, my opponent groans, “It’s been your turn for like five minutes.  Ya planning on going sometime tonight?”  And the girl walks gracefully away.

So I continue to wonder… “Is she the port wine and chocolate cake girl?  Gosh, she doesn’t look like that kind of girl.”  But I don’t wonder too long because Chad enters the room and says, “Marc, there’s someone I want you to meet.”  So I follow him into the kitchen and we bump right into her.  “Oh, Angel,” Chad says.  “This is my buddy, Marc.”

And I smile from ear to ear, and give off a little chuckle…

Because she’s not the port wine and chocolate cake girl.  But also because I spent the past twenty minutes thinking about the port wine, and the chocolate cake, and the sweaty bed sheets.

Hours later, the party begins winding down.  But the band is still playing, the two painters who have been painting a wall mural all evening are still painting, and Angel and I are still dancing.

“Are you tired?” I ask.

“No,” Angel says.  “Dancing is my outlet.  When I dance, I transcend myself and the doubts that sometimes prevent me from being me.  This evening has been enchanting, just dancing with you and being me.”

So I twirl her around.  And the drummer keeps drumming.  The guitarist keeps strumming.  The singer keeps singing.  The painters keep painting.  And now we’re the only ones dancing.

As we continue to dance, she says, “I feel as if we’re naked.  And not just you and me, but the drummer, the guitarist, the singer, and the painters too.  Everyone left in this room is naked… naked and free.”

I smile and tell her that I agree.  “We are naked.  We are free.”

As I know we don’t have to take our clothes off to be naked.  Because moments of passionate presence flow into each other like port wine flows into chocolate cake.  And if we let them, these moments can expose us completely, and continuously.  And create climaxes that don’t even require sex.

Because a true climax has little to do with orgasm, and everything to do with the passion, love, and devotion we choose to invest in someone or something.  In the same way, nakedness has little to do with how much clothing we wear, and everything to do with our awareness in a given moment of time—an unfettered, present awareness that frees the mind and allows us to truly live the moment for all it’s worth.

After a few more songs, Angel asks if I’d like to join her out on the front porch where it’s quieter.  “Just so we can talk about life,” she says.

I give her a little wink.  “I love life in this crazy world!  It is crazy, isn’t it?”

She smiles.  “Yeah, a world in which we can be naked with our clothes on and experience continuous climax without intercourse.”

“Because instead we can achieve both with music, or paint, or dance, or any form of avid self-expression,” I add.

“You got it.  Even the sincerity in this conversation is beginning to work for me,” she says as we step out the front door and into the moonlight.

I tell this short story mostly because I need the reminder.

I need to be reminded of the beauty and sweetness of passionately absorbing oneself into the present moment—into the people, the dialogs, and the priceless little events that exist there.

I need to be reminded of what it’s like to be “naked” and “free.”

Because too often, amidst the hustle, I forget.

I forget to pay attention.

I forget to be grateful for the opportunity directly in front of me.

So I tell a story about a night from my distant past that I can remember and recite in vivid detail simply because I was completely present at the time.

I wasn’t distracted.  I wasn’t in a rush to get somewhere better.  I wasn’t resisting things, or trying to change them in any way.

I was 100% there.

And, as a result, I allowed that night to change my life.

Now, think about how this relates to YOUR life.

The floor is yours…

Before you go, please let us know:

Which story or point above resonates the most with you right now?

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Also, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign-up for our free newsletter to receive new articles like this in your inbox each week.

Natalie says

August 12, 2018 at 11:13 am

Even when days are hard and I feel like I’m losing myself, my best strategy for coping is to do the very best I can and to give myself the space to be OK without being perfectly comfortable. I take it one tiny step at a time as you’ve preached to me. This is undoubtedly the most important life-change I’ve picked up from your getting back to happy course and coaching (although there are others too). Giving myself the space and time to take life in and step into it, is a life strategy…a healthy daily ritual for me now. Specifically, I wrote this down when I was on a coaching call with Angel:

“Waiting for confidence and motivation never works. Taking the next step is what builds your confidence and motivation, gradually.”

So, Marc, I really appreciated the indirect reminder that you mentioned in story #4: “Honestly, that’s all life is—small, positive actions that you take moment by moment, and then one day when you look back it all adds up to something worthwhile…”

I couldn’t agree more. Thank you, as always!

Marc Chernoff says

August 13, 2018 at 10:43 am

Hi Natalie,

You are making progress each and every day. Angel and I are truly proud of you. It’s been inspiring to witness your growth firsthand. Thank you for the positive feedback, too. 🙂

Paula Rose says

August 12, 2018 at 11:27 am

Every story here is wonderful, truly. But I remember you sharing story number 3 at your Think Better, Live Better conference a couple years ago, and I really appreciate you reminding me of it. It jumped out to me then, and it jumps off this page at me now. Looks like you put it in your newest book too. Love it! I just ordered the book on Amazon.

Keep up the meaningful work.

August 13, 2018 at 10:44 am

Thank you for supporting our work, Paula. I hope you enjoy the book, and maybe we’ll see you at a future Think Better, Live Better conference? 😉

August 12, 2018 at 11:48 am

M&A, once again, you drop an email in my gmail inbox with a link to exactly the right words for me. You fifth story speaks to me in so many ways. It has literally brought me to tears just now.

I’ve never felt so lost and alone in my life as I do these days. I’m in my mid-40s, married with a kid. We recently relocated with a new job 2,000 miles away from where I’ve lived for the past 20 years, and I feel so isolated here as it’s hard to meet friends. I thought I was stronger than I truly am. When we moved I thought we could just pick up and leave everything that was familiar and things would fall into place here. But then I totally fell apart. The thing that really gets me is when I was in my happy place at the old house, I had no idea that one day an avalanche of emotion and fear would overcome me and I’d be wishing to go back to those simpler times.

In any case, I’ve been working through my emotions and issues, and I’ve been taking walks just like the woman in your fifth story here, and I have found a nearby park on a hill that’s kinda like my sanctuary, too. Thank you for making me feel less alone right now.

August 13, 2018 at 10:49 am

I just want you to know that Angel and I read your comment together, and we are thinking of you. Moving 2,000 miles away from home is tough. Angel and I have done it twice, and one of those times I had a truly difficult time with it. I felt lost for a few months straight, until I settled in. I promise, your journey will make more sense soon, and you’ll feel better and grow from this experience. 🙂

Howard says

August 13, 2018 at 8:15 am

Two shadows can create the most amazing light. Thank you for that.

So glad that resonated, Howard. Thanks for letting us know. 😉

Karrie says

August 15, 2018 at 1:14 pm

I like what you said Howard, very witty!

Lee J. Tyler says

August 13, 2018 at 12:56 pm

I like story #6, because the acceptance of imperfections is the most beautiful light I’ve seen.

Brian Ferret says

August 14, 2018 at 8:56 am

Same! …

“…We can either shine our own light on the shadow or we can run from it and continue searching for a shadow-less light.”

Beautiful metaphor and quote.

Melody says

August 13, 2018 at 2:21 pm

Dear Marc and Angel,

I never had the chance to see you live in person, but I know one thing for sure: You two, are just real angels. I really loved all the stories but the first 5 stories were so much resonant with my previous life story. I am a new person now and I continue to be new for the rest of my life. Lots of blessings and gratitude to you two for sharing these wonderful life stories with others to make their life as bright as possible.

Poello Molieleng says

August 14, 2018 at 8:00 am

What life is all about! Beautiful story, I’ve been battling with depression for over six months now and during the past months I found myself completely lost and alone,not knowing what to do and who to trust. I guess I didn’t recieve the kind of support that I needed from my family. I’m 25,married with a kid. It wasn’t until I stopped holding the glass for too long that I realized that life is just a one step at a time journey. I used to overwhelm myself with the scary thoughts of the unknown future. I started a daily plan of going out to the wild and lose myself for a while,and that’s when I found my soul. I look up to the sky every night and believe me I feel more alive then. Thank you for your stories they’re life changing. And yeah, I believe I’m free and naked and I’m happy about it.

Joseph says

August 15, 2018 at 12:51 pm

What’s the meaning of “Two shadows can create the most amazing light”?

Patricia Guenot says

September 11, 2018 at 9:10 am

Ever since I’ve been reading Getting Back To Happy I realize that I am always concentrating on what I will do next instead of living in the present. Story # 7 is so true and I am trying one day at a time to relish where I am at the moment. Thank you for your wonderful book, e-mails and comments they have really impacted my life in a very positive way. I look forward to reading and learning from what you and Marc have to say.

Alison says

August 16, 2018 at 7:29 am

Great post, really enjoyed the stories. Story 4 resonates the most with me. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by a task, but I have found just taking one small step (sip!) this leads to another step, and another and before I know it I have made progress! A tip I read somewhere which is similar to this story and I find really helps is to think ‘when, then…’ I utilsed this just last night. I had a couple of hours to clean the whole house as I have visitors coming. I was tired after a long day and the whole cleaning thing was overwhelming. I therefore thought to myself, when I have washed the pots, then I will mop the floor. When I’ve mopped the floor, then I will pick up the laundry. And so on, till it was all done!

Angela says

August 16, 2018 at 8:41 am

I like #4, it’s a reminder to just take it slow and steady. Sometimes it feels like the world is caving in on me and I can’t keep up with everything or if I find a solution I need to resolve everything immediately. This story tells me it’s okay, everything will fall where it should if I just slow down a little, everything will be okay. <3

Eszter says

August 16, 2018 at 10:24 am

Story #5: Where We Can Go When We Feel Lost and Alone definitely resonates. How did she know she was put there to do anything? It’s exactly my situation. I built a circle of virtual friends that fell apart in the course of days. I deleted my facebook account, disappointed in all communication channels but personal ones. I moved to a small town, after leaving a good and well-paid job to live in this place where I was put to do something. Now waiting for it to be done and shared with others who deeply care. How did you know? I don’t require the attention of many. But to share my life with a few, having a connection is very important to me. I don’t find the ending comforting, though. So she stayed there in the sanctuary, all alone? I hope that’s not the end.

August 17, 2018 at 11:29 am

I like #4, it’s a reminder to just take it slow and steady. Sometimes it feels like the world is caving in on me and I can’t keep up with everything or if I find a solution I need to resolve everything immediately. This story tells me it’s okay,

August 23, 2018 at 11:18 pm

#JUST ONE SMALL SIP I can relate that much, because I often think lots of long term goals everyday that I need to accomplish. And by that, I’m confused about the things that I did now. What to do first? Am I on the right way? Is this really my passion? That’s the question I mostly asked to myself day by day.

Love that Story!

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Inspiring Short Stories on Positive Attitude: Read These 11

When you have a positive attitude, you see the opportunities and possibilities in every situation rather than the problems and obstacles. You focus on the solutions rather than the complaints. You appreciate what you have rather than what you lack. You celebrate your achievements rather than dwell on your failures. You embrace change rather than resist it. You are optimistic rather than pessimistic. A positive attitude can make a huge difference in your personal development. It can help you grow as a person, improve your relationships, and enhance your well-being.

Sanju Pradeepa

The old, dusty book sat on the shelf of the library, its gold-embossed title gleaming in the dim light that filtered through the high windows. As the young boy ran his fingers over the familiar leather binding, he smiled, knowing the tales of inspiration and hope that awaited him within those pages.

His favorite collection of short stories had seen him through many difficult times, the characters and morals lifting his spirits and reminding him that a positive attitude can change everything.

On days when the world felt overwhelming and bleak, he would pull the book from its place and lose himself in the stirring stories of perseverance against all odds. Though decades had passed since the book was first published, the messages of courage, kindness, and optimism remained timeless.

For any reader seeking to boost their positive mindset and find motivation, this compilation of inspiring short stories on positive attitude still shines as a beacon of light.

Table of Contents

Inspiring short stories on positive attitude.

Having a positive attitude is one of the most important factors in personal development. A positive attitude can help you overcome challenges, learn new skills, achieve your goals, and enjoy your life. A positive attitude can also boost your self-confidence, motivation, and resilience.

18 Characteristics of Positive Attitudes (+5 Benefits)

1. the power of positive thinking: a short story.

The old fisherman sat by the sea, staring at the rolling waves under the night sky. He had gone out to sea earlier that day but caught nothing. His small boat rocked gently beside him, empty again.

For weeks, he had struggled. No matter how early he left or how late he returned, the fish just weren’t biting. His wife tried to reassure him that his luck would turn, but he was losing hope.

As he gazed at the stars, he thought of his father and grandfather, who had both been fishermen. “The sea provides,” his father always said. But the sea seemed to have abandoned him.

Just then, a bright light appeared, dancing on the water. At first, the fisherman thought it was the reflection of the moon, but the light moved and flickered. He realized with a start that it was a flame coming closer.

A small boat drifted into view, lit by a lantern. In it sat a young boy, no more than 10 years old, holding a fishing pole. The boy called out, “Have you had any luck today, sir?”

The fisherman sighed. “Not today, I’m afraid.”

The boy smiled. “Don’t lose hope! My father always says that patience and perseverance will pay of f. The fish will come. You’ll see.”

With that, the boy’s boat drifted back into the night. The fisherman sat in silence, pondering the boy’s words. His optimism and faith pierced the darkness like that small flame, rekindling the fisherman’s own hopes. He knew then that luck would find him again if he met each day with faith and determination . The sea provides, after all, for those who persevere.

2. The Opportunity in Every Difficulty: An Inspiring Tale

The old farmer sighed as he looked over his ruined crops. A terrible storm had swept through the valley the night before, and his once lush and verdant fields were now battered and muddy. His neighbor, a kind young man named Thomas, came by to offer his help.

“This is a calamity,” the farmer said. “My family has always been able to survive on the yield of this harvest. I don’t know what we will do now.”

Thomas thought for a moment. “I see this not as a calamity but as an opportunity,” he said gently.

The farmer looked at him in disbelief. “How can this be an opportunity?” he asked.

Thomas smiled. “Now you have a chance to try something new. You’ve always grown beans and squash. Why not try planting different crops that will thrive in this soil? You can diversify and strengthen your farm.”

The farmer considered this. Thomas was right—he had become set in his ways. This disaster could push him to make his farm sustainable in new ways.

“You have given me hope again,” the farmer said. He clapped Thomas on the back. “Thank you for showing this old man the opportunity in this difficulty. My farm will be better for it.”

And so the farmer planted new, hearty crops and introduced more diversity to his farm. Though the storm ruined one harvest, it ended up saving many more. For in every difficulty lies an opportunity, if only we dare to see it.

3. The Traveler: A Story About Choosing Your Perspective

The old traveler sat down for a rest under the shade of a large tree. A young boy approached and sat down next to him. “Where are you going?” asked the boy. The traveler replied, “I’m not sure where this road will lead me.”

The boy was surprised. “How can you not know where you’re going?” he asked. The traveler smiled. “I don’t know my destination, but I’m sure I’ll know when I get there. The beauty is in the journey, not the destination.”

The boy still didn’t understand. “But how will you know you’ve arrived if you don’t know where you’re going?” The traveler replied, “When I arrive, there will be peace and contentment in my heart. The journey is what shapes us and makes us grow.”

The boy considered this. He had always focused on goals and destinations but never appreciated the journey. He realized there was wisdom in the traveler’s words. “I think I understand,” he said. “It’s not about where I’m going, but how I choose to see the journey.”

The traveler nodded. “You’re learning. Our perspective shapes our reality. Choose to see each moment as an opportunity to learn and grow. Appreciate all the simple beauties around you. Find peace in the journey, not the destination.”

The boy smiled, thanked the traveler, and continued down the road with a new sense of meaning and purpose. He realized the journey ahead held endless possibilities if only he chose to see them. His reality was shaped by his perspective. The destination didn’t matter; his journey was just beginning.

4. The Two Frogs: A Short Story on Maintaining an Optimistic Outlook

Two frogs, Tom and Tim, were enjoying the summer sun near a pond. Tom was young and optimistic, while Tim was older and more pessimistic.

As Tom was hopping around the pond, he fell into a bucket that someone had left out. He tried to jump out, but the bucket was too deep. Tim came over and saw Tom’s struggle.

“It’s useless,” said Tim. “You’ll never get out.”

“Don’t be silly,” said Tom. “Someone will surely come and get me out.”

Just then, a little boy walked by and heard Tom’s calls. He lifted the bucket and tipped it over, freeing the frog. Tom hopped happily away, calling out to Tim:

“I told you I’d get out! An optimistic outlook always pays off.”

Tim grumbled as he hopped into the pond. A while later, Tim’s pessimism got the better of him again. As he was swimming, a big fish swam by and grabbed him in its mouth. Tim shrieked:

“Help! I’m going to be eaten!”

Tom heard the commotion and swam over. He told the fish:

“Please release my friend. He did not mean to disturb you.”

The fish opened his mouth and let Tim go. Tim was ashamed of his pessimism. He told Tom:

“You were right. Positivity and optimism do pay off. I will try to be more optimistic from now on.”

Moral of the story: Having an optimistic outlook can open up more opportunities and lead to better outcomes. Maintaining positive thinking and hopeful expectations can help overcome difficult situations. Like Tom, the frog approaches life with optimism and faith in good outcomes.

How Optimism Affects Happiness: +8 Ways to Develop Optimism

5. the story of the farmer and his luck.

There once lived a farmer in a small village. He was considered the luckiest man in the village. The farmer believed that God was kind to those who worked hard. He was a very hardworking farmer.

One day, the farmer was working in his field. He saw a traveler walking by. The traveler asked the farmer, “How did you get so rich?” The farmer replied, “Hard work.” The traveler was surprised and said, “Many people work hard but are still poor. There must be some luck involved too!”

The farmer thought for a while and said, “You’re right. Let’s say luck and hard work are like two horses pulling a wagon. With only one horse, the wagon won’t move. Hard work alone is not enough. Luck alone will not take the wagon far. When luck and hard work come together, that’s when the wagon starts moving!”

The traveler was very impressed with the farmer’s wisdom. He asked again, “What about times when you face bad luck? How do you deal with it?”

The farmer smiled and said, “When times are good, I work hard. When times are bad, I work even harder. Hard work can turn bad luck into good luck!”

The traveler thanked the farmer and continued his journey enlightened by the farmer’s positive attitude and simple wisdom. Like the traveler, we too can learn from the farmer’s story.

Success comes to those who work hard and maintain a positive attitude, regardless of luck, good or bad. Luck is fleeting, but hard work and a positive attitude can overcome all odds.

Is Success Luck or Hard Work: Unpacking the Success Equation

6. the story of the elephant and the rope.

The massive elephant strained against the thick rope around its ankle, trying in vain to break free. A young girl noticed the elephant’s distress and approached the handler. “Why does this elephant not just use its strength to break the rope and escape?” she asked.

The handler smiled and replied, “When this elephant was just a baby, it was tied with the same rope. At that time, the rope was strong enough to restrain the little elephant. It has grown up believing the rope can still hold it, even though now it could easily snap the rope.”

The elephant’s limited belief in the power of the rope had imprisoned it for life. Like the elephant, many of us go through life trapped by false beliefs and self-imposed limitations. We become accustomed to thinking in a certain way and continue to see the world through that lens, even after we have outgrown it.

To break free from these mental constraints, we must first recognize that the beliefs holding us back are no longer true. We have to realize, as the elephant eventually did, that we now have the power and ability to break those bindings. We just have to open our minds to growth and change.

The elephant can teach us an important lesson: we are only as trapped as we believe ourselves to be. With an open and willing spirit, we can release ourselves from the ropes that bind us.

7. The Blind Boys and the Matter of Perspective

The old monastery sat atop the hill, isolated from the village below. Two blind boys, Timmy and Jimmy, lived there, taken in by the monks at a young age.

One day, the boys were playing in the yard when they started arguing about what color the sky was. Timmy claimed it was blue, while Jimmy insisted it was gray. The argument escalated as each boy refused to accept the other’s perspective.

Hearing the commotion, the head monk came over. He told the boys, “You are both right. The sky’s color depends on the way you observe it.”

The boys were puzzled. “But how can it be both blue and gray?” asked Jimmy.

The monk smiled gently. “While you see with your eyes, you perceive with your mind. The sky appears blue to Timmy because that is how his mind perceives it based on what he has learned and experienced. To Jimmy, it seems gray for the same reason.”

“So which color is really right?” asked Timmy.

“The sky has no inherent color. It appears differently to each observer based on their perspective. Right or wrong does not apply here.”

The boys grew silent, grasping the meaning behind the monk’s words. Though blind, their vision expanded in that moment as they understood, for the first time, the power of perspective .

While the boys continued to see the world differently, they learned to appreciate how those varying perspectives enriched their lives. They realized that by embracing diversity of thought, one can achieve a more colorful and meaningful view of life. By opening their minds, the blind boys gained true sight.

8. The Mountain Story

The old man sat with his grandson by the fire, under a blanket of stars. “Grandson, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all,” he said.

The First Wolf

“One is evil. It is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity , guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride , superiority, and ego.”

The Second Wolf

“The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”

The grandson thought about this for a minute and then asked, “Grandfather, which wolf wins?”

The old man smiled. “The one you feed.”

This short story highlights that we each have the potential for both good and evil inside us. The traits and behaviors we cultivate through our thoughts and actions will determine which side prevails. Focusing on positivity, kindness, and compassion feeds the good wolf, allowing our best qualities to shine through. Dwelling on negative emotions and harmful actions, on the other hand, gives power to the evil wolf.

Every day, in small ways, we choose which wolf to feed. Make an effort to feed the good wolf within you by maintaining an optimistic attitude, practicing kindness, and spreading positivity to others. Starve the evil wolf of anger, envy, and selfishness. Though it can be difficult, having awareness and making the choice to promote good over evil leads to inner peace and benefits society as a whole.

Feed the good wolf, and let your positive attitude and actions inspire others to do the same. Together, we can cultivate more good in the world.

9. The Sun and the Wind: A Fable on Positive Thinking

The sun and wind were arguing one day over who was the stronger of the two. As they debated, they saw a man traveling along a road wearing a coat. They agreed that whoever could cause the man to remove his coat the fastest would be considered the stronger.

The wind accepted the challenge and blew with all his might, trying to make the man feel uncomfortable enough to remove his coat. But the harder the wind blew, the tighter the man grasped his coat and wrapped it around himself. The wind’s efforts were in vain.

The Sun’s Turn

When the wind gave up, the sun took its turn. The sun shone gently upon the traveler, slowly increasing his warmth and brightness. The sun’s friendly rays felt pleasant to the man, who soon unbuttoned his coat as he walked down the road. Within a few minutes, the man finally removed his coat altogether.

The sun’s kind and optimistic approach succeeded where the wind’s aggression and pessimism failed. The moral of the story is that positive thinking and friendliness often accomplish more than hostility and force. A positive, constructive attitude can go a long way toward resolving disagreements and achieving one’s goals.

The story highlights how positive thinking and an optimistic outlook can overcome negativity and adversity. By taking a friendly, empathetic approach, the Sun was able to achieve what aggression and pessimism could not. With patience and understanding, the sun’s positivity won out.

12 Reasons Why Positivity Matters (+7 Ways to Achieve It)

10. the optimist and the pessimist: a tale of two friends.

The Pessimist

Jake was a pessimist. He always expected the worst in every situation. One day, while walking through the forest, Jake came upon an old abandoned cabin. “I bet this place is filled with spiders and critters,” he thought. As night fell, Jake’s stomach began to growl. He peered inside the dark cabin, worried about what scary things might lurk within. His hunger eventually overtook his fear.

Jake lit a candle and found the cabin empty except for a pot of hot stew still warm over the fire. But Jake didn’t eat. “This is probably poisoned,” he worried, going to bed hungry.

The Optimist

Jake’s friend Tim was an optimist. He always looked on the bright side. The next day, Tim came upon the same cabin. “What an adventure this will be!” he exclaimed. Tim went inside, lit a fire, and found the pot of stew. “How lucky I am to find a hot meal waiting!” he said, enjoying the stew. He slept well that night in the cozy cabin.

A Valuable Lesson

The next morning, Jake told Tim about the spooky cabin. “Really?” asked Tim. “I found an abandoned cabin too, but it seemed quite pleasant.” Jake was shocked. It was the same cabin, yet their experiences had been very different. Jake realized his pessimism had caused him to miss out on a good meal and cozy shelter. From that day on, Jake tried to be more optimistic. He learned that positive thinking can open us up to more happiness and opportunity.

11. Be the best you can be.

The old warehouse towered before Jenny, holding untold stories within its rusty walls. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, determined to overcome her self-doubt.

A Voice from the Past

As Jenny explored the musty rooms, a scrap of paper on the floor caught her eye. It was a page from a diary, dated over 50 years ago:

I know I have talent, but I lack confidence in myself. My teacher says I can achieve great things if I work hard and believe in myself. His encouragement inspires me to push past my self-doubt and give my dreams a chance. Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we often might win by fearing to begin. I will not let my doubts hold me back any longer. My time is now.

Jenny gasped, realizing the message was meant for her. The writer’s words echoed her own feelings and struggles. She knew what she had to do.

Overcoming Obstacles

Jenny pursued her lifelong passion for writing with a newfound determination . She worked diligently at honing her craft, despite facing rejections and setbacks. Her teacher’s support motivated her to keep improving her skills.

After months of effort, Jenny submitted a story to a local contest and won the first prize. At the awards ceremony, she saw a familiar face in the crowd—it was her teacher, cheering her on, pride shining in his eyes.

At that moment, Jenny realized the diary page was a gift to inspire her journey. She had overcome her self-doubt , nurtured her talent, and achieved her dream. The possibility of greatness lives within us all if only we believe in ourselves and rise to meet it.

Importance of Believing in Yourself: Be Your Own Biggest Fan

Final thought.

One of the most important factors for personal development is having a positive attitude. A positive attitude means that you see the bright side of things, you believe in yourself and your abilities, and you are optimistic about the future.It can help you overcome challenges, learn new skills, and achieve your goals. It can also make you happier, healthier, and more resilient.

• Positive Attitude Towards Life, Emotional Expression, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms among centenarians and near-centenarians by Kaori Kato , a   Richard Zweig , b   Clyde B. Schechter , c   Nir Barzilai , d  and  Gil Atzmon e ( Aging Ment Health. 2016 Sep; 20(9): 930–939. Published online 2015 Jun 26. doi:  10.1080/13607863.2015.1056770 ) published in National Library of Medicine – An official website of the United States government

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Who Moved My Cheese Essay: Book Summary, Analysis & Real Life Examples

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Who Moved My Cheese Book Summary

Who moved my cheese analysis, who moved my cheese: conclusion.

Change is inevitable, and Spencer Johnson knew this very well when he wrote Who Moved My Cheese . This short dramatic story addresses change in life, exploring how one could handle it in the workplace and day-to-day life as well. Positive change comes when one can sense, expect, and adapt to it by responding appropriately through action. After executing all these measures, change becomes enjoyable and life more interesting, with better results in work and life. This summary essay on Who Moved My Cheese shall provide a critical analysis of the main characters of the story and their attitude to changes..

Of all other things in life, change is the only constant thing, and by learning to adapt to and enjoy it, life stops being a puzzle and becomes one enjoyable adventure. With full knowledge of these facts about change, Spencer wrote Who Moved My Cheese from personal experience to help others accept and adopt change in life. Laying down strategies in handling change is of the essence of this book.

The book opens by stating the four major characters, Scurry and Sniff, the two mice and Haw and Hem, the two little people. “Sniff…sniffs out change early, Scurry…scurries into action, Hem…denies and resists change as he fears it will lead to something worse, Haw…learns to adapt in time when he sees changing can lead to something better!” (Spencer 1).

Into the plot, Spencer adds a maze, which represents the workplace or the place where people look for the things they desire. Cheese is used as a metaphor in Who Moved My Cheese for the things that people look for in life like food, health, wealth, among others. Having put this in place, the author starts the story.

The two mice and the two little people live in a maze where every morning, they run to Cheese Station C and get enough cheese for everyone’s needs. With time, self-satisfaction sets in, and Hem and Haw start taking their cheese for granted.

Fortunately, Sniff and Scurry are ever serious with their cheese, and they keep on investigating its source to see whether the supply is diminishing. One day, these characters run to the station only to find the cheese is gone. Scurry and Sniff, being little creatures void of intelligence and reasoning, are not surprised by the absence of the cheese.

They look for another cheese somewhere else in the maze. However, Hem and Haw employ their intelligence to determine who might have moved their cheese. They cannot accept the fact that cheese is gone, so they end up wasting many days staring at the empty station. In other words, the two little people with their intelligence cannot accept and adapt to change easily, while the two mice notice the change, adapt to it, and move on to find new cheese.

After many days of staying at the empty station , Haw decides to leave and search for another source of cheese. However, he finds the idea of leaving the station tempting, especially after listening to negative Hem, who sees it risky to leave it. Consequently, Haw decides to join Hem in staying at Station C wishing and waiting for a miraculous reappearance of their lost cheese. Finally, Haw gets the idea that, if they do not do something, they will perish; therefore, he decides to move in search of new cheese.

For some time, he feels lost, but after many days of persistence, he starts feeling better about his exploits even though he has not gotten new cheese yet. He is convinced that, imagining that he has a new cheese will lead him to one, and this is precisely what happens; he finds a new cheese station, which is almost empty. Despite this misfortune, Haw learns a lesson.

Staying for long at this station causes Haw to miss the next cheese supply. He concludes, “The quick you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese” (Spencer 17). From a loving heart, Haw goes back to the station with some new cheese to replenish Hem. Unfortunately, Hem is still in denial, and he refuses Haw’s offer of a new cheese; he maintains that he wants his cheese back.

Hem maintains, “I want my own Cheese back and I’m not going to change until I get what I want” (Spencer 17). After realizing he cannot persuade Hem to leave Station C and search for new cheese, Haw leaves and continues his search for new cheese supplies.

In his adventures, Haw realizes change is not bad after all; consequently, he adopts the motto, “when you change what you believe, you change what you do” (Spencer 18). Therefore, to start with, Haw changes the way he believes and writes on a rock, “Old beliefs, do not lead you to new cheese” (Spencer 18).

Within no time, Haw realizes his new thinking pattern is producing new useful behaviors. Importantly, he notes he no longer goes back to any of the stations without cheese; instead, he searches through the maze to find new cheese-loaded stations. Finally, his positive attitude pays back as he comes to Cheese Station N.

To Haw’s surprise, Scurry and Sniff are already at this station. Haw observes Sniff and Scurry have grown fat making him conclude they have been around this cheese station for quite some time. Despite the time he wasted along the journey, Haw is thankful he has learned vital lessons.

To be on the safe side, he applies his new lessons daily. First, he investigates the station every morning to notice any changes in supply. In addition, he explores the whole maze to see if there are other sources of cheese supply in case the supply at the station runs out. As the story closes, Haw hears a sound and only hopes Hem has finally broken loose from his negative mentality to find the new station. Thus, it can be concluded that the four characters of the story represent people’s different attitudes to problems and changes.

A number of lessons come out clearly in this story. The vital thing to do when change beckons is to acknowledge it and take decisive action that lines up the change to work for one’s benefit. Denying change will lead to extinction or mediocrity, an unproductive life characterized by commonness, void of adventures and thrills.

Regarding the real life examples of Who Moved My Cheese characters, those who take after Sniff and Scurry in today’s world reap big from change; those who take after Haw benefit, although after a long struggle while those who take after Hem remain surrounded by fear of the unknown. The fundamental rule in the maze that is life is to acknowledge and take action towards utilizing change that comes one’s way. However, actions without a proper implementation strategy might lead to wasting a lot of time in the maze for no reason.

Sniff and Scurry, “had noticed the supply of cheese had been getting smaller every day, they were prepared for the inevitable and knew instinctively what to do” (Spencer 8). The preparedness that Scurry and Sniff had symbolizes the strategy that people should have in life to counterchange. The two mice would investigate the cheese everyday to note any changes in supply. Likewise, people should notice any little changes and strategize on how to counter the same.

In addition, during change, one needs to maintain a positive attitude. For Haw, he realizes, “Imagining myself enjoying the cheese even before I find it lead me to it” (Spencer 17). One has to set goals and then align his/her thoughts towards the positive realization of those goals. As the old saying asserts, ‘as a man thinks so he is,’ thinking of having achieved the set goals will lead to their realization.

As the conclusion of Who Moved My Cheese proves it, positive adaptation of change requires one to abandon fear and self-satisfaction. Just like Haw, it might seem hard to leave what one is used to; nevertheless, experience dictates that without leaving the seashore, one will never discover new oceans. Ignoring the facts does not change them; therefore, it is good for people to accept change because change is unavoidable.

The adage asserts that ‘change is the only constant thing’; consequently, adapting and repeatedly enjoying change is the best thing to do. As is clear from this summary essay on Who Moved My Cheese, Spencer wrote the story to illustrate the effects of denying change or accepting it. Acknowledging, strategizing for, acting on, and enjoying change, underlines Spencer’s work. The ‘Hems’ of today should learn from and emulate the ‘Sniffs’ and ‘Scurrys’ to avoid extinction or mediocrity.

Spencer, Johnson. Who Moved My Cheese?. N.d. Web.

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• Critical Analysis of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
• Personal and Social Changes
• Who Moved My Cheese: A Personal Review
• Ken Blanchard “Who Moved my Cheese”
• The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David Shipler Book
• Story Analysis of "The Outsiders" by S. E. Hinton
• C. P. Ellis, One Writer’s Beginnings, and The Story of my Body
• The Rise and Fall of Criminal Activity in the US: "Get Capone" by Jonathan Eig
• The Market Place: A Woman with a Child
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2018, May 17). Who Moved My Cheese Essay: Book Summary, Analysis & Real Life Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/who-moved-my-cheese/

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IvyPanda . (2018) 'Who Moved My Cheese Essay: Book Summary, Analysis & Real Life Examples'. 17 May.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Who Moved My Cheese Essay: Book Summary, Analysis & Real Life Examples." May 17, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/who-moved-my-cheese/.

1. IvyPanda . "Who Moved My Cheese Essay: Book Summary, Analysis & Real Life Examples." May 17, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/who-moved-my-cheese/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Who Moved My Cheese Essay: Book Summary, Analysis & Real Life Examples." May 17, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/who-moved-my-cheese/.

Peter Nathan - the Business of Business and Life

You can often change your circumstances by changing your attitude. (inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt)

Eleanor Roosevelt's powerful quote, "You can often change your circumstances by changing your attitude," holds immense truth for our personal lives and professional endeavours. It's not about denying reality or pretending problems don't exist. Instead, it's about harnessing the power of perspective to navigate challenges and create positive change.

The Transformative Power of Attitude:

Our attitude acts as a filter through which we experience the world. A negative attitude can magnify problems, drain motivation, and limit our ability to see solutions. Conversely, a positive attitude allows us to approach challenges with resilience, resourcefulness, and a belief in our ability to overcome them.

Examples in Life:

Facing a Setback: Imagine failing an important exam. A negative attitude might lead to self-blame and discouragement. However, a positive attitude allows you to view the setback as a learning experience, identify areas for improvement, and approach the next attempt with renewed determination.

Dealing with Difficult People: Everyone encounters challenging personalities in life. A negative attitude towards such interactions can make them even more stressful. But, by adopting a positive outlook, you can focus on productive communication and maintain your composure in difficult situations.

The Positive Catalyst in Business:

In the competitive business world, attitude plays a crucial role in success.

Team Dynamics: A team with a positive attitude is more likely to be collaborative, innovative, and resilient in the face of challenges. A positive leader inspires and motivates their team, fostering a growth mindset and a culture of problem-solving.

Customer Interactions: A positive attitude extends to customer service. Employees with a welcoming and helpful demeanour create a loyal customer base and enhance the overall brand image.

The Importance of Realistic Optimism:

This concept isn't about blind optimism or ignoring difficulties. It's about cultivating a realistic optimism that acknowledges challenges while maintaining a belief in one's ability to overcome them. Here's how this applies:

Focus on What You Can Control: Life and business are full of variables outside our control. A positive attitude emphasizes focusing on the aspects we can influence, such as our effort, perspective, and approach to problems.

Embrace Learning from Challenges: Setbacks are inevitable. A positive attitude sees challenges as opportunities to learn, adapt, and improve. This growth mindset fosters resilience and prepares you for future success.

Changing Your Circumstances, One Positive Step at a Time:

Shifting your attitude won't magically erase problems. However, it can empower you to approach them differently. Here are some practical steps to cultivate a positive attitude:

Gratitude Practice: Regularly acknowledging the positive aspects of your life, both big and small, can shift your focus towards appreciation.

Positive Self-Talk: Replace negative self-talk with encouraging messages. Believe in your ability to learn, grow, and overcome obstacles.

Surround Yourself with Positive People: The people you spend time with significantly influence your outlook. Seek out positive and supportive individuals who inspire and uplift you.

By incorporating these practices, you'll find yourself better equipped to navigate life's challenges and create the positive circumstances you desire, both personally and professionally. Remember, as Eleanor Roosevelt reminds us, a positive attitude is a powerful tool for shaping your world.

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Inspiring Short Stories On Having A Positive Attitude: 4 Beneficial Takeaways

We all love a good story right? These inspiring short stories on positive attitude below, can be super valuable and useful when it comes to building character and attitude. 

All success stories come from stories of great failure. The main difference is that every time they failed, they all bounced back. This is referred to failing forward, rather than backward. 

You learn and move forward. So consider the next time you fail a learning experience and keep moving forward . 

Did you know that Henry Ford forgot to put the reverse gear in the first car he made?

He still succeeded massively in spite of this mistake. But to the outside world, he may have appeared to have gotten lucky in his success. 

A short story on positive and negative thinking…

“Don’t Act Like An Elephant” – Fran Briggs

In India, elephants are used for manual labor. When an elephant is small and weighs approximately 200 pounds, it is securely tied with a heavy-duty rope. 

In between ‘jobs’ the elephant tries to break through its limitations. The calf whines, tugs, and even tries to chew through the rope-but it is unable to break free.

Finally, the elephant gives up its will and accepts his circumstances. The elephant believes there is absolutely no chance to free himself and overcome his limitation. 

In doing so, he misses out on his defining moment.

A defining moment is the exact moment one adopts or accepts a new belief that drastically transforms their life. 

They accept this new belief as a new truth, regardless if it is true or not. 

Because the brain accepts repetition of thought and deduction as ‘the truth,’ the rope reigns sovereign not only in the calf’s immediate environment, but in his mind as well.

With this belief deeply embedded in the elephant’s mind, his handler came up with an ingenious idea to permanently disempower him. 

He realized all that was needed was to tie the four-ton animal up with extremely small ropes and he would remain tied. You see in the elephant’s mind, any size rope would keep him securely confined.

Don’t act like an elephant. Size up and break through the confining ropes in your mind. When you’re faced with change, change your perspective. 

When you’re overwhelmed with something new; change your view. Use affirmations, to eradicate limitations and nothing will be impossible for you!

This short story about a man name Jerry is one of those positive thinking success stories that you can read over and over again 

“Attitude is everything” – Francie Baltazar-Schwartz

Discover unique products that inspire at the InspiredLife Shop Wear Your Motivation. Inspire Your Space.

Jerry was the type of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. 

When asked how he was, his response would be, “If I were any better, I’d be twins!”

“I don’t get it!” I told him one day. “You can’t be a positive person all the time. How do you do it?”

Jerry replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, ‘Jerry, you have two choices today: you can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.’ 

I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. 

I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining, or I can point out the positive side of life. 

I choose the positive side of life.”

Several years later, I heard that three armed robbers held Jerry up at gunpoint in his restaurant. While trying to open the safe, his nervous hand slipped off the combination. 

The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found and rushed to the local trauma center. 

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw him about six months later, and asked him how he was. He replied, “If I were any better, I’d be twins! Wanta see my scars?”

“Weren’t you scared?” I asked.

Jerry said, “The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. 

But when they wheeled me into the emergency room, and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, ‘He’s a dead man.’”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me,” he said. “She asked if I was allergic to anything, and I said, ‘Yes…bullets.’ 

As everyone laughed, I told them, ‘I’m choosing to live. Operate on me as if I’m alive, not dead.’”

Thanks to the skill of his doctors, Jerry lived, but also because of his amazing attitude. He taught me that we have the choice every day to live fully.

How do you develop a positive attitude towards life?

From the time you wake up in the morning to the time you go to bed, your attitude determines the outcome of your day and all the days that follow.

We live in a world where stress is part of our everyday life. From work, school, finances and family obligations tend to make life stressful.

If we’re always stressed, our attitudes become affected. Maintaining a positive attitude in times like this can not only make you mentally stronger, but also allow you to bounce back from any setbacks that you may have.

Also, having the ability to find various sources of inspiration and motivation can help tremendously. 

Here are 4 tips from these inspiring short stories on having a positive attitude that you can apply in your daily life:

Stop worrying so much about what other people think about you.  

The things people often say or think of you is a reflection of their own thoughts, not yours. It’s a projection of their reality not yours which can hold you back from fully living your life . 

Express gratitude daily.  

There are so many things that people take for granted in life, like the ability to wake up, good health, freedom, and family members that are healthy. 

If you pray about it or say it to yourself, ensure to express gratitude. Some people think that what they have achieved in life is not enough.

Let go of grudges and forgive. 

Holding grudges for months or years can weigh heavy on you and make you angry whenever you see that person. 

Take time and contact the person that wronged you. Let them know that you have forgiven them. Free yourself.

Eliminate the negativity. 

In order to change your overall outlook on life you have to start catching yourself thinking about things in a negative way. 

That includes work, outings, people, and yourself. 

If someone recommends you all go to a nice brunch at a specific spot, for example, don’t automatically think of all of the reasons why you shouldn’t go. 

Instead think about how fun it would be to hang out with some friends or how much you enjoy a good mimosa.

Enjoy the present. It’s all we got. 

Helping people and eating tacos are my jam! This blog exists to help provide tips and resources that can help you achieve your goals and live a better life. Whether you’re looking for tips on personal growth, fitness, advice on starting a side hustle, or resources for working remotely, I’ve got you covered.

Fran Briggs

Thursday 6th of October 2022

Thank you so much for sharing my article.

Fran Briggs https://www.facebook.com/FranBriggs

Inspiring Short Stories on Positive Attitude

Last Updated on May 21, 2024

In today’s society, inspiring short stories on positive attitude matter . That’s because we reached that point where many — if not most — people are about instant gratification .

So in this article, we’ll dig into that subject.

Let’s discuss what inspiring and positive stories in English about life can do. We’ll also check out five inspiring short stories about positive thinking .

Table of Contents

What inspiring short stories on positive attitude can do for you

According to studies, a positive attitude towards life is good for your health. It boosts your immune system, raises positive emotions, and reduces anxiety.

Inspiring and positive thinking story in English allows you to appreciate good. They help you realize and understand how some people’s situations in life improve because of their attitude. They also provide you with the opportunity to maximize those benefits for yourself.

Plus, they help you realize these things:

• Never give up (quickly) – Challenges may come. But with positivity, you’ll have the strength to continue chasing your goals .
• There’s a silver lining in a dark cloud – With a positive attitude comes an open mind. It also comes with the power to see the good in unpleasant situations.
• Responses are important – A problem is only a problem if you insist on seeing it that same way.

5 inspiring stories on positive attitude

Doubt that a positive attitude is good for you?

Then read this positive thinking story below to get some reassurance.

Here are five inspiring and positive attitude stories for employees, yourself, friends, and students with morals :

1. Rocks, pebbles, sand, and more

This story tells of a professor of philosophy who once stood in front of his class with an empty glass jar.

With his students watching, he filled the jar with rocks. Then he asked his students if the jar was full.

The response was in unison:

Upon hearing this, the professor then told them they were wrong. He proved it by adding small pebbles to the jar’s contents. He then raised the same question before.

“Is the jar full?”

Again, his students answered yes. To him, they confirmed the jar containing rocks and pebbles was full.

To this, the professor responded similarly to what he said earlier. And to prove his students wrong again, he added sand into the jar. Once he filled up the jar with sand, he asked his students “the” question:

“ Is the jar full?”

And again, they answered it was complete. But the professor once again informed them they were wrong.

This time, he didn’t take out anything. Instead, he informed them of the point he was making.

He told them the jar was a metaphor for life. And the rocks, pebbles, and sand were also a metaphor for things that fill a person’s life.

The rocks symbolize essential things in a person’s life. The rocks could be a person’s loved ones and anything they hold dear. He then added these things should be a person’s priority.

Meanwhile, he said, the pebbles and sand also represent things that fill your life. And while they mean a lot to you, they carry little weight. Compared to your rocks, they’re replaceable.

Then the professor left with these words of wisdom:

“You can pour water into the jar. Any liquid will do. And this represents things that could fill up your life even more. But like the pebbles and sand, they’re replaceable.”

2. A better gift

This inspirational short story is about a young man who asked his father for a car as a gift for his high school graduation.

The young man felt confident his father would buy a car for him because his old man’s salary could afford such a purchase.

Imagine his disappointment when graduation day came. Instead of a car, his father gave him a watch.

“I didn’t ask for this!” he yelled at his father.

“It’s a better gift, my son. You don’t need a car. What you need is time and learning to manage it well , ” his father said.

He felt terrible for having high hopes. And from then on, he had a raging heart and wouldn’t want to be in the same room as his father.

Years passed, and the young man saw no reason to speak to his father again.

Without his father providing for him, he learned to work. And worked hard until he realized his father was right.

It was true. He didn’t need a car back then.

If his father had given him a car when he asked for it, he wouldn’t have learned the value of hard work. Add to that the lesson on managing time.

After this realization, he tried locating and calling his father. He wanted to make amends, admit his fault, and express gratitude for a valuable lesson.

The unfortunate part? He was too late. He got word his father passed away weeks ago.

He learned from the experience that his father had his best interest at heart. Though his father didn’t show it, he had his back and wanted him to succeed in the long haul .

Related: Real-Life Inspiring Stories that Touched Hearts

3. Innocent sacrifice

A good positive mindset story about a volunteer doctor at a children’s hospital that shared this short story of a young boy.

It began when she asked the young boy if he would participate in a blood transfusion. The doctor told him he needed to give his blood to expedite his sister’s recovery.

At first, the young boy hesitated. But not long after, he reconsidered. After taking a deep breath, he agreed to the medical procedure.

The young boy also added he would do anything else for her sister. Upon hearing this, the doctor smiled and began preparing him for the transfusion.

The medical professional also explained the situation to the kid. And the boy felt glad he had the antibodies needed to save a family member.

During the transfusion, he looked at his sister and smiled for a moment. After, he turned pale, faced the doctor, and asked:

“Will I die now?”

The doctor smiled at him and told him he would only give his sister a portion of his blood. What the young one thought was he was about to give every ounce.

And right then, the doctor felt the boy’s love for his sister — so much so he would sacrifice his life for her.

The doctor was in awe at what the boy showed. It reminded him that some people would do anything — including things they don’t understand — for the people they love .

4. Seeing roadblocks as opportunities

There lived a wealthy king with a reputation for getting on people’s nerves.

One day, he placed a boulder in the middle of the road. He knew it was going to get in people’s way. But he ordered his servants to place it there on purpose anyway.

The first group of people who bumped into it reacted with utter annoyance.

“Doesn’t he have anything better to do with his life than annoy people?” these people would say.

Because they thought it was an act that only called for attention, they ignored the boulder in the middle of the road. They walked around it — annoyed and never looked back.

Few more groups were annoyed by the king’s constant ploy to get attention. And the rest showed apathy and continued walking their path.

Years passed without changes to people’s reactions to the sight of a boulder in the middle of the road.

It wasn’t until a peasant carrying loads of vegetables stopped to notice this boulder. Rather than walk past it, he tried to move it to the side of the road. His agenda was to place it at a location that wouldn’t get in people’s way.

Because it was a heavy boulder, moving it took him a while. It also took a lot of his energy to sit down and rest before continuing his journey.

But as he was resting, his eye noticed something shiny. It was under the boulder’s original location.

He was curious. And so he went near it.

He then discovered it was a purse made of gold. When he opened it, he found a note from the king:

Congratulations!

Go to my kingdom and present this note.

A pot of gold, your reward, is waiting for you.

The king wanted to impart the lesson that not all roadblocks are useless. If a person invests time and effort into overcoming them, it won’t be long before they notice these roadblocks can also be a blessing in disguise .

5. Your thoughts, your outcome

Two seeds are the center of this inspiring story.

The first seed said she wanted to get off the ground to grow. Whatever happens along the way, she’s up for it.

And so she grew. Her life was colorful. She may encounter problems once in a while. But her heart was happy about her choice to get off the ground.

Then there’s the other seed. Unlike the first seed’s enthusiastic approach to the possibilities ahead, she sat there worrying. She was worried about any missed opportunities that may come when she leaves the ground. She’s also worried about being exposed to too much sun.

And because her head was full of worries , she didn’t go anywhere. She played it safe and waited.

One day, a hen came near the ground where the second seed waited. It then stumbled upon the seed and devoured it.

The lesson? There’s nothing wrong with playing it safe. But playing it safe can sometimes be dangerous.

Plus, if you want a promising outcome, playing it safe isn’t the way to go. Instead, you need to take risks and get out there .

6. A Challenge-Filled Life

One night, a rich man had a dream where God appeared and asked him to bring all his miseries to the temple hall in bags.

Excited to finally exchange his problems with someone else, the man quickly gathered all of his troubles and headed to the hall.

When he arrived, he saw that everyone else in town had brought their bags of problems, some of which were much larger than his own.

Despite feeling hesitant, the man decided to go through with the exchange and placed his bag with the others.

To his surprise, when God told everyone to choose a new bag, everyone rushed to claim their own.

The wealthy man, who had spent his whole life praying for a way to rid himself of his problems, realized that he was happy with his miseries because he was used to them and didn’t know what difficulties lay in the other bags.

As he took his bag back home, he realized that the key to happiness might lie in accepting and overcoming his problems rather than trying to escape them.

7. Rich Mom, Poor Mom

One day, a rich woman was waiting outside a grocery store when a less well-off woman recognized her and asked how she was doing.

The wealthy woman boasted about her son’s success, including his honors degree from Stanford and his successful business, and asked about the other woman’s son.

The other woman revealed that her son hadn’t gone to college and worked for a company rather than starting his own business and that he lived with her after her husband passed away.

Despite not having the same level of material success as the wealthy woman’s son, the other woman was proud of her son for staying by her side during her illness and for his commitment to making a positive impact in other people’s lives through his work for a non-profit.

As the wealthy woman’s son arrived and rushed her to leave, the other woman remarked that at least her son knew how to be kind and help his mother.

This story suggests that true success and happiness come from inner qualities and relationships rather than external markers of success.

BONUS: Additional resources about positivity

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Final thoughts on why inspiring short stories on positive attitude matter

Inspiring short stories on positive attitude matter. And the best inspiring short stories featured above serve as reminders that positive attitudes are like superpowers.

This is because you can control your attitudes. And like a superpower, you can use it to make anything happen , like self-improvement and a propensity to live life to the fullest.

Christopher Jan Benitez is a content strategist. He develops strategies for SEO campaigns to drive business from search engines. Christopher has written SEO optimized content for Spencer Haws, Steve Toth, and Joshua George. Currently, Mr. Benitez is head of content at Charles Floate’s agency.

Christopher helps business owners and freelancers build their brands and grow their online presence by providing high-quality, well-researched, and engaging content. With his writing skills and digital marketing expertise, Christopher aims to educate and inspire his readers to achieve their goals and succeed in their respective fields.

When he’s not writing, Christopher enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, reading non-fiction books, and playing terrible guitar. He is also passionate about traveling and exploring new places.

Live Altitude- Inspiration and Motivation

Inspiration and Motivation, Insights and Oversights. Stories that Uplift the Human Spirit

Inspiring Short Stories on Positive Attitude

Inspiring short stories on positive attitude: they say that attitude is everything, and it is true. a positive attitude can help you see the world in a whole new light, no matter how dark your world might be at any given moment. a positive attitude will help you get through the tough times and give you the strength to overcome whatever challenges you may face. if you’re needing a little boost in that life, reading inspirational short stories on positive attitudes can help you in more ways more that you expect. these stories show us what being positive looks like, and how these inspirational stories can make it easier for us to adopt our attitudes. here are some of the most inspiring short stories on positive attitude to get you through those rough days., be grateful for what you have . being grateful for the things we have can help us adopt a more positive attitude. if we’re not grateful for what we have, we’re more likely to be discontent with our lives, which can lead to an overall negative attitude. we can use our gratitude to help us see the good in our lives, even when times are tough. if you’re struggling with a bad situation, gratitude can help you see that there is still good in the world. being grateful can help you appreciate the little things in life, which is especially helpful during times when you’re feeling down and out. by practicing gratitude, you can help turn your negative thoughts into positive ones. gratitude doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. you can express your gratitude in several ways, from keeping a gratitude journal to sharing the things you’re grateful for with others, overcome adversity. we all have our fair share of struggles to get through, but the best way to get past them is to overcome them. our adversities don’t have to define us; we can use them to help us grow and improve as people. if you’re struggling with a certain issue, work hard to overcome it. you’ll feel better once you’ve overcome it, and you’ll have stronger character and inner strength because of it. you don’t have to face your struggles alone, either. there are plenty of people who can help you get through the hard times and learn from them. you just need to ask for help. being able to overcome adversity can help you develop a more positive attitude. it shows that you have the strength to get through whatever life throws at you. it also shows that you have the determination to do what it takes to get through your struggles and improve as a person because of it., don’t be discouraged by setbacks. life is full of setbacks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t overcome them and have a positive attitude. if you let a setback, get you down and ruin your day, you’re not doing yourself any good. setbacks are something we all experience from time to time, especially if we’re pushing ourselves to reach new goals and progress in our lives. it’s how you react to a setback that really matters. you can either let it discourage you or use it as motivation to push yourself harder. don’t let a setback get you down . instead, use it as an opportunity., don’t dwell on the past . don’t spend all your time dwelling on the past. sure, you can look back at the past and learn from your mistakes but dwelling on them will only bring you down. you can’t change the past, so dwelling on it will only make it harder for you to move forward. try to focus on the present and where you want to be in the future. dwelling on the past can bring up negative emotions and make it harder for you to have a positive attitude. it’s important to learn from your mistakes but dwelling on them will do you no good. try to forgive yourself for your past mistakes and move forward. it will help you move past those mistakes so you can have a positive attitude in the present., help others. helping others is a great way to make yourself feel good and lift your spirits. if you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, try reaching out to someone who could use a helping hand. by helping someone else, you can forget about your own problems and focus on helping someone else. you can also use helping others as a way to improve your skills. helping others is also a great way to put your life into perspective. when you’re helping others, you can forget about your own problems and issues. it’s also a great way to forget about your worries and problems. don’t be afraid to reach out to others. you never know who might need your help, and you never know when someone might be willing to help you, either..

 Remember to Breathe . When all else fails, remember to breathe. Breathing is a great way to calm your nerves and relax your body and mind. It can also help you focus on positive thoughts and clear your mind. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious, take a few deep breaths to calm your nerves. It’s a simple and effective way to get your stress under control so you can regain your focus and have a better attitude. It’s important to remember to breathe even when things are going well for you. It’s a great way to relax your body and focus your mind on positive thoughts. The practice of mindfulness and yoga is very helpful in relaxing the mind.

Don’t judge a book by its cover. We’ve all heard this adage before, but it’s true. You never know what someone is going through. You might assume that someone is acting a certain way because they’re being negative or because they don’t want to be around you, but you don’t know what’s going on in their head. Don’t judge a person’s actions or attitudes based on what you think you know. Instead, try to understand where they’re coming from and what they might be going through. Life can sometimes be hard and feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. But don’t lose hope because you never know when something good might happen. These inspirational short stories on positive attitude will help you adopt a more positive outlook, even when times feel their darkest.

Image Source: FreeImages‍

Related Readings: The Benefits of Positive Thinking in Modern days – Life Altitude (livealtitude.com)

Looking on the bright side

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“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” ~Norman Vincent Peale

I used to watch people on the streets and in restaurants and think that their boisterous conversations and broad smiles were evidence that they lived a life much better than mine.

I assumed that they were happier than me, smarter than me, and worth more than me. All around me was evidence that this was true: my meager bank account, my junky car, my thrift store clothes.

I would sit in my apartment and try to imagine what it would be like to be someone else.

I wondered what it would be like to be someone who could afford to go to the movies and go out to eat, someone who bought new clothes and shoes, or someone who had a good job. Even imagining this seemed too hard. I felt as if life was stacked against me.

Have you ever felt like everyone else was doing better than you? Have you ever felt like the deck was so stacked against you that you would never catch up? I understand that feeling. I had it for much of my adult life.

I was always a dreamer with big ideas and ridiculous plans, but I was unable to make those plans a reality because the story I told myself was that I wasn’t enough. As long as I continued to tell myself that story, I would continue to be not enough.

The current state of your life is a direct result of the stories you tell yourself , and what you really believe is possible—not what you say is possible, but what you believe deep down in your core.

My story about not being good enough showed itself in every aspect of my life—my job, my family, my social life.

Until I was able to open my eyes and change my story, these aspects of my life were not getting better. You receive what you are telling your subconscious mind you deserve. I was telling my mind that I wasn’t good enough and that’s what I saw all around me.

If you change the limiting stories you tell yourself, you will be able to change your life.

I realized this one day when I was watching a Tony Robbins video on YouTube. Yes, I’d heard it plenty of times before, but for some reason on that day, at that time, it really clicked. You will learn the lessons you most need when you are ready for them, and I was finally ready.

Identifying Your Story

The first step in changing a limiting belief is identifying it.

Identifying my story about not being good enough was surprisingly difficult for me initially because I told myself that story for so long that I didn’t think of it as a story at all. I thought of it as true and that was, at its heart, quite ridiculous. It took a lot of thought before I even realized that this was the story I was telling myself.

What limiting story are you telling yourself? Maybe it’s that you’ll never find love or that you’ll never earn over a certain amount of money. Maybe it’s that you are too shy to speak in public or that you are terrible at small talk. Maybe you think you’ll never make a living doing what you love or that you are not smart enough to succeed.

All of these things are stories. The difference between you and the people doing the thing that you’ve always wanted to do is the stories you tell yourselves. Changing that story is one of the most important steps to changing your life.

Shifting Your Story

Now that you’ve identified your story, you have to make a new one for yourself.

For me, it was simply deciding that I was just as good as anyone else and I deserved just as much as anyone else. It’s a really simple non-specific story, but it countered my previous limiting one. Think about your limiting story. How can you change that story to make it empowering?

Supporting a New Story

A new story in itself is not always enough. That story needs to be rooted in something. You have to believe it, and changing your beliefs can be the most difficult thing of all. When I decided to change my story about myself, I looked around at my life for evidence that the new story was true.

For example, I knew I had friends and family who loved me and certainly thought I was good enough to receive that love.

When I looked at my life objectively I realized that I’d actually accomplished quite a bit. I’d always done well in school. I’d written quite a large body of work that I enjoyed and liked. I always went out of my way to be kind and helpful to others. These are all things that, in my eyes, made me just as good as anyone else.

As I started to look at my situation more, I realized that one of my core problems was “the anyone else” part of my story. I was comparing myself to others, and that will lead to unhappiness most of the time.

Instead of thinking of myself as just as good as anyone else, I started to change my story again to simply say that I am good.

Can you find evidence around you that can support your new story? Does looking at that evidence make you realize that you need to make any changes to your new story?

Emotions Are Key

Supporting your new story with facts will help you believe it, but what really anchors it into your life is associating it with positive emotions.

I started meditating every morning and every evening for twenty minutes. Once my meditation was over, before I got up, I’d visualize something that is connected to my new story. Because my story was so broad, that visualization could include any number of things.

I’d imagine myself having relaxed conversations with people at a social event where I was contributing equally to the conversation. I’d imagine myself working at a job that I loved and doing really well at it.

I’d imagine these things very concretely. I’d really get into the visualization and wouldn’t get up until I felt the joy that these activities would bring me deep inside.

I am a writer and am prone to imagination, so this was quite easy for me. We all have the capability to imagine, so give it a shot and see what happens.

Nothing Happens Without Action

Sitting around visualizing isn’t enough to make change happen in your life. I’m a strong believer in action. That’s where you really start to see the change happen.

Now that you have a new story about your life, you’ll be able to see opportunities in places you’ve never noticed them before. You’ll also have the courage to try things that you never did before.

I immediately started challenging myself. I started making a conscious effort to speak up in social situations and to express my opinion. I started asserted my needs more. I was able to see things for a more positive perspective.

I’m not saying that I am always successful. I most certainly am not. Sometimes I fall back into old habits, but I remember that simply making the effort gets me a step closer to my ideal than I was before.

Be Kind to Yourself

The physical circumstances around you won’t change overnight. You won’t change your story to being abundant and then suddenly have millions of dollars in your bank account the next morning. What will happen, though, is that you will recognize the opportunities that will get you there.

Don’t be angry with yourself or the universe if it doesn’t happen fast enough for you, or if you fail to make the changes you want all once. Taking small steps in the right direction every day will get you were you need to be. It’s important to be consistent.

Don’t beat yourself up if you fall back into old habits. We are often our biggest critics. Just pick yourself up and start again. It’s the ability to continue moving forward that will get you to your goal.

Happy woman jumping image via Shutterstock

About Lovelyn Bettison

Lovelyn Bettison is an author and artist who helps people conquer their fears and reclaim their dreams. She has made a worksheet just for Tiny Buddha readers to help you change your limiting beliefs and start the journey of change in your life. You can get the worksheet at her website .

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Essays About Life-changing Experiences: 5 Examples

Discover our guide for writing essays about life-changing experiences that combine three different elements: narrative, description, and self-reflection. 

Each of us has gone through life-changing experiences that shaped us into the individuals we are today. Because of how powerful they are, these events make for fascinating topics in writing. This subject doesn’t only let us tell our life stories, and it also pushes us to evaluate our behavior and reflect on why an incident happened.

Attract your readers by creating an excellent introduction and choosing a unique or exciting encounter. Paint a picture of the events that describe your experience vividly and finish with a strong conclusion.

5 Essay Examples

1. long essay on experience that changed my life by prasanna, 2. life-changing events: personal experience by anonymous on studycorgi.com, 3. my example of a life-changing experience by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 4. life-changing experience: death essay by writer annie, 5. a life-changing experience during the holiday season by anonymous on studymoose.com, 1. life-changing experience: defined, 2. the experience that changed my life, 3. life-changing events and how they impact lives, 4. everyday events that change a person’s life, 5. the person who change my life, 6. books or movies that changed my life, 7. a life-changing quote.

“Experiences can be good and sometimes terrible that results in a positive or negative impact on one’s life. Life is full of many unexpected challenges and unknown turning points that will come along any time. People must learn and grow from every experience that they go through in life rather than losing yourself.”

In this essay, Prasanna discusses her father’s death as her most challenging life-changing experience. She was cheerful, immature, and carefree when her father was still alive. However, when her father left, she became the decision-maker of their family because her mother was unable to.

Prasanna mentions that she lost not only a father but also a friend, motivator, and mentor. That sad and unexpected experience turned her into an introverted, mature, and responsible head of the family. Ultimately, she thanks her father for making her a better person, and because of the devastating incident, she realizes who she can trust and how she should handle the real world. You might also be interested in these essays about choice .

“In life, certain experiences present challenges that change the way people relate to themselves and their families. Certain life events mark life-changing moments that alter lives either positively or negatively. It matters how people handle their relationships at such critical moments.”

This essay contains two life events that helped the author become a better person. These events taught them to trust and appreciate people, be responsible, and value family. The first event is when their best friend passes away, leading to stress, loss of appetite, and depression. The second circumstance happened when the author postponed their studies because they were afraid to grow up and be accountable for their decisions and actions.

The writer’s family showed them love, support, and understanding through these events. These events changed their behavior, attitude, and perspective on life and guided them to strengthen family relationships.

For help picking your next essay topic, check out our 20 engaging essay topics about family .

“I thought it was awkward because he looked and acted very professional. In that moment I thought to myself, ‘this person is going to have a great impact in my life!’. I was very curious to meet him and get a chance to show him my personality.”

This essay proves that you should always believe in yourself and not be afraid to try something new. The author recalls when they had many problems and met an extraordinary person who changed their life. 

When they were in sixth grade, the writer had life issues that caused them to be anxious about any future endeavor. The author then says they don’t usually open up to teachers because they fear their reactions. Then they met Mr. Salazar, a mentor who respects and values them, and the writer considers him their best friend.

“When the funeral was over and he was laid to rest, I had a feeling I can’t even describe. It was almost an empty feeling. I knew I had lost someone that could never be replaced.”

Annie never thought that she’d go through a life-changing experience until the sudden death of her father. Her thoughts and feelings are all over the place, and she has many unanswered questions. She says that although she will never wish for anyone to experience the same. However, her father’s passing improved her life in some ways.

Her mother remarried and introduced a new father figure, who was very kind to her. Living with her stepdad allowed her to explore and do things she thought she couldn’t. Annie still mourns the loss of her birth father, but she is also grateful to have a stepdad she can lean on. She gradually accepts that she can’t bring her birth father back.

“This story as a whole has really changed me and made me an even better person in life, I’m so thankful that this happened to me because now I have a greater appreciation for the little things in life.”

The essay shows how a simple interaction on a cold day in December can completely change a person’s view on life. It starts with the writer being asked a small favor of an older man with Alzheimer’s disease to help him find his car. This experience teaches the writer to be more observant and appreciative of the things they have. The author was inspired to spend more time with loved ones, especially their grandfather, who also has Alzheimer’s disease, as they learned never to take anything for granted.

7 Prompts for Essays About Life-changing Experiences

Everyone has their definition of a life-changing experience. But in general, it is an event or series of events profoundly altering a person’s thinking, feelings, and behavior. Use this prompt to explain your understanding of the topic and discuss how a simple action, decision, or encounter can change someone’s life. You might also be interested in these essays about yourself .

For this prompt, choose a specific memory that made you re-evaluate your views, values, and morals. Then, discuss the impact of this event on your life. For example, you can discuss losing a loved one, moving to another country, or starting a new school. Your conclusion must contain the main lessons you learned from the experience and how it can help the readers.

Various positive and negative life-changing experiences happen anytime and anywhere. Sometimes, you don’t notice them until they substantially disturb your everyday life. 

To begin your essay, interview people and ask about a momentous event that happened to them and how it influenced their way of living. Then, pick the most potent life-changing experience shared. Talk about what you’d do if you were in the same situation.

Some life-changing events include common things such as marriage, parenthood, divorce, job loss, and death. Research and discuss the most common experiences that transform a person’s life. Include real-life situations and any personal encounters for an intriguing essay.

It’s normal to meet other people, but connecting with someone who will significantly impact your life is a blessing. Use this prompt to discuss that particular person, such as a parent, close friend, or romantic partner. Share who they are and how you met them, and discuss what they did or said that made a big difference in your life. 

Movies like “The Truman Show” help change your viewpoint in life. They open our minds and provide ideas for dealing with our struggles. Share how you reached an epiphany by reading a book or watching a movie. Include if it’s because of a particular dialogue, character action, or scenes you can relate to.

While others use inspirational quotes for comfort and to avoid negative thinking, some find a quote that gives them the courage to make drastic changes to better their lives. For this prompt, search for well-known personalities who discovered a quote that motivated them to turn their life around.  Essay Tip: When editing for grammar, we also recommend spending time and effort to improve the readability score of your essay before publishing or submitting it.

Essay on A Positive Change in Your Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on A Positive Change in Your Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on A Positive Change in Your Life

Introduction.

Change is a part of life. It can be challenging, but it often leads to growth. One positive change in my life was when I started reading books.

Before this change, I was a person who rarely read. I spent most of my time playing video games or watching TV.

One day, I picked up a book from the library. It was a story about adventure and courage. I was instantly hooked.

Now, I read regularly. It has improved my vocabulary, imagination, and understanding of the world.

250 Words Essay on A Positive Change in Your Life

Life is a constant journey of growth and evolution. Positive changes are the stepping stones that lead to self-improvement and personal development. One such transformative change in my life was the introduction of mindfulness practices.

Mindfulness: A Catalyst for Change

The concept of mindfulness, derived from Buddhist traditions, emphasizes living in the present moment with non-judgmental awareness. It was during a particularly challenging phase of my life that I stumbled upon this concept, which eventually became a beacon of positivity.

The Transformation

The initial days of practicing mindfulness were challenging. However, as I continued to immerse myself in this practice, I began to notice a significant shift in my perspective. I found myself more in tune with my thoughts and emotions, which led to a profound understanding of my reactions to different situations.

Impact on Relationships

Mindfulness also greatly improved my interpersonal relationships. By being present and attentive, I was able to engage more deeply with people, fostering mutual respect and understanding. This positive change in my relationships was a direct result of my newfound mindfulness practice.

The positive change brought about by mindfulness in my life is immeasurable. It has not only enhanced my self-awareness but also enriched my relationships. This journey, though personal, is a testament to the transformative power of positive changes in our lives. The practice of mindfulness, thus, serves as a reminder that even in the face of adversity, we have the power to steer our lives towards positivity.

500 Words Essay on A Positive Change in Your Life

The catalyst of change.

The period of transition from high school to university was a significant turning point in my life. It was marked by a shift from a structured, familiar environment to an entirely new, independent setting. This change was daunting at first, but it eventually became the catalyst for my personal and academic transformation.

Academic Evolution

In high school, I was a passive recipient of knowledge, relying heavily on teachers for guidance. University, however, required a more proactive approach to learning. I was expected to independently research, analyze, and synthesize information. This change was initially overwhelming, but it gradually developed my critical thinking and problem-solving skills. I learned to question, challenge, and explore various perspectives, which fostered an intellectual curiosity that extended beyond the classroom.

Personal Growth

The power of adaptability.

Adapting to such a drastic change was not easy. It required patience, effort, and a willingness to step out of my comfort zone. However, this process taught me the power of adaptability. I learned that change, though intimidating, can be a catalyst for growth and development. It pushed me to evolve, to challenge my preconceived notions, and to embrace new opportunities.

The transition from high school to university was a significant change that profoundly influenced my personal and academic growth. It challenged me to become an active learner, fostered my intellectual curiosity, and enhanced my adaptability. This positive change has not only prepared me for the academic rigors of university but has also equipped me with the skills necessary to navigate the complexities of life. Therefore, I believe that change, though daunting, is an essential part of personal and academic development. It pushes us to evolve, adapt, and ultimately, to grow.

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Attitude changes everything – it can change your life

Attitude changes everything. Change your attitude and you can change your life. You cannot always control what happens to you in life but you can always control how you respond to the challenges or difficult situations you encounter. The attitude you approach anything with is entirely your choice. The way you choose to respond mirrors your attitude and so by changing your attitude you can change your perspective and change your life. Your attitude reflects the way you see the world and how you live in it. It affects every aspect of your life, your happiness, relationships, health, wellbeing and success. Developing a positive attitude that you apply with action can change the way you live your life regardless of the challenges or adversity you face. In this post I want to share with you some of the ways attitude can change the way you live your life.   “It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.” Dieter F. Uchtdorf

The attitude you choose will determine the outcome

Select the most useful attitude that will help you with the challenges you face. The attitude you choose will determine how successful you will manage the challenge or situation. Consider how that attitude will determine what you say, your behaviour and action and what will be the outcome.

Always take action with a purpose

Before you take any action, decide how it will serve your greater goals. Act with thought and consideration when choosing an attitude that will help you take the actions that will manage the challenges you face.

Move out of your comfort zone

If you stay stuck in your comfort zone, it may seem safe and familiar but if you don’t challenge yourself nothing will ever change. If you don’t stretch yourself every day, you will never find out what you are truly capable of. Have a go, take a risk and transition from your comfort zone into your growth zone where you will gain purpose, live your dreams, set goals and overcome the obstacles that have been holding you back.

Take action without expecting success

Change happens and confidence grows from taking action. It’s where you learn most about yourself and build resilience. Of course you have to make decisions and plan your actions to achieve the results you want, but it’s a big mistake to expect those results and then be upset or downhearted when you don’t get them. Take the best action you can but don’t fixate about the result.

Use setbacks or disappointments to learn from and to build resilience

Rather than feeling bad if you fail, reflect on your actions and see what you can do to better or learn what to do next. Growth comes from failing and learning, again and again. Seek out those who share your positive attitude. It’s a known fact that your brain automatically copies the behaviours of the people around you. Therefore, it makes sense to surround yourself with people who have a positive and proactive attitude and move away those who are unduly negative or drain your energy.

Practice gratitude more frequently

Achieving an “attitude of gratitude” entails more than simply recognising what’s wonderful in your own life. Take action by thanking other people for their gifts or kindness to you, even if that gift is something as simple as a smile or an acknowledgement. Don’t take yourself too seriously. If you want to be happier nurture the ability to laugh at yourself. It will help to balance your drive and purpose with a dash of gentle humour and fun.

If you are facing a challenge or difficulty today what attitude will you choose to help yourself?

What action will you take as a result?

If this post has been helpful please share it with other women who may benefit from reading it.

Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-darbyshire-evans

and go to www.finerthinking.com and you can sign up on the homepage for a COMPLEMENTARY BREAKTHROUGH SESSION to discover how you can learn to change your attitude and change your life so you can thrive not just survive and be fulfilled and enjoy the industry you love.

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The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.

What's the meaning of this quote?

Quote Meaning: This quote emphasizes the immense potential that lies within each individual's ability to shape their own destiny. By altering one's attitude and mindset, a person can effectively transform their life path and overcome obstacles. A positive attitude can foster resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to take risks or embrace new opportunities. This quote reminds us that we have the power to choose our perspectives and, in doing so, greatly influence the direction and quality of our lives.

Who said the quote?

The quote "The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude." was said by Oprah Winfrey ( Bio / Quotes ) . Oprah Winfrey is a media mogul, talk show host, actress, and philanthropist.

What's the quote's message?

At its core, the quote "The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude" conveys a profound and empowering truth about human potential. It highlights the remarkable ability within each individual to shape their own destiny simply by shifting their mindset and embracing a different perspective.

In essence, this quote invites us to recognize that our attitude holds immense power over the outcomes we experience in life. It suggests that by consciously adopting a positive, open-minded, and determined attitude, we can transcend limitations, overcome obstacles, and pave the way for a brighter future.

By emphasizing the word "merely," the quote reminds us that this transformative process doesn't require extraordinary measures or external interventions. Instead, it underscores the fundamental role our attitude plays in the trajectory of our lives. It is a reminder that we possess an internal locus of control, granting us the authority to steer our lives in the direction we desire.

Within this notion lies a profound realization: the external circumstances we face may not always be within our control, but our attitude towards them is. While we cannot always choose the cards we are dealt, we can choose how we approach the game. This recognition encourages us to cultivate a resilient and proactive attitude, enabling us to respond to challenges with courage, adaptability, and perseverance.

The transformative power of attitude lies not only in its influence on our external circumstances but also in its impact on our internal landscape. When we adopt a positive and optimistic mindset, it sets off a chain reaction of constructive thoughts, emotions, and actions. It allows us to see opportunities where others may only perceive obstacles, to find growth in setbacks, and to maintain a sense of hope and purpose even in the face of adversity.

Furthermore, our attitude also has a ripple effect on the people and the world around us. A positive attitude can inspire and uplift others, fostering a collective environment of motivation, collaboration, and innovation. By radiating positivity and resilience, we can become catalysts for change, spreading a ripple of transformation that extends far beyond our immediate sphere of influence.

Ultimately, the message behind this quote resonates with the timeless wisdom that the power to shape our future lies within us. It encourages us to take ownership of our attitudes, to embrace the potential for growth and transformation, and to believe in our ability to forge a brighter path ahead. By recognizing the profound impact our mindset holds, we are empowered to navigate life's challenges with unwavering determination and an unwavering belief in the potential for positive change.

Is there a historical example that illustrates the message of the quote?

There are many historical examples that demonstrate the power of a change in attitude affecting a person's future. One standout example is the life of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty in a log cabin in Kentucky and faced numerous setbacks throughout his early life. He had little formal education, lost his mother at a young age, and failed in his first attempt at business. He also ran for the Illinois General Assembly and lost. After a period of severe depression, Lincoln decided to change his attitude towards life and hardships. He once quoted, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be," which reflects his belief in the power of attitude.

He began studying law on his own, entered politics again, and eventually became a highly respected lawyer in Illinois. Despite facing numerous personal and political setbacks, including losing two bids for a U.S. Senate seat, Lincoln kept a positive attitude and never stopped trying to achieve his goals. He was eventually elected President of the United States in 1860, leading the nation through its greatest internal crisis, the Civil War.

His change in attitude didn't just affect his personal future; it also had a profound effect on the future of the entire nation. His Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 declared slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free, a pivotal step towards the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States. This act fundamentally changed the nature of the Civil War and the future of the nation.

Therefore, Abraham Lincoln’s life serves as a vivid example of the quote, "The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude."

How can the quote be applied in a real-life scenario?

The quote "The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude" carries a powerful message about the transformative potential of attitude and mindset in shaping one's future. In a real-life scenario, this quote can be applied in various ways:

Personal Growth and Self-Improvement: The quote encourages individuals to recognize the influence of their attitudes on their personal growth and development. By adopting a positive and growth-oriented attitude, individuals can open themselves up to new possibilities, embrace challenges, and cultivate resilience. It emphasizes that changing one's attitude can lead to personal transformation and create opportunities for a more fulfilling and successful future.

Relationships and Interactions: Attitude plays a significant role in shaping the quality of relationships and interactions with others. By adopting a positive and empathetic attitude, individuals can foster healthier and more meaningful connections. Changing one's attitude towards compassion, understanding, and forgiveness can lead to improved relationships, creating a positive ripple effect on personal happiness and overall well-being.

Professional Success: The quote is applicable to professional settings as well. By adopting a positive and proactive attitude towards work, challenges, and learning, individuals can enhance their chances of success and career advancement. A positive attitude can improve problem-solving skills, increase motivation, and foster a proactive approach to achieving professional goals. By recognizing the power of attitude, individuals can take control of their professional trajectory and shape their future outcomes.

Well-being and Resilience: Attitude has a significant impact on overall well-being and resilience in the face of adversity. By adopting a positive and resilient attitude, individuals can better cope with setbacks, bounce back from failures, and maintain a sense of hope and optimism. Changing one's attitude towards adversity can lead to personal growth, mental strength, and the ability to navigate challenges effectively.

Personal Fulfillment: The quote highlights that changing one's attitude can lead to a more fulfilling future. By adopting a mindset of gratitude, positivity, and self-belief, individuals can find greater satisfaction in their present moments and set a foundation for a brighter future. It emphasizes the importance of embracing an optimistic and proactive attitude to create a life of purpose and fulfillment.

In summary, the quote emphasizes the transformative power of attitude in shaping one's future. By recognizing and actively changing one's attitude, individuals can open doors to personal growth, improved relationships, professional success, well-being, and personal fulfillment. It highlights the importance of cultivating a positive and growth-oriented mindset to create a brighter and more rewarding future.

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How to Change Your Attitude

Last Updated: June 28, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS . Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin specializing in Addictions and Mental Health. She provides therapy to people who struggle with addictions, mental health, and trauma in community health settings and private practice. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in 2011. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 397,348 times.

A negative outlook on life can have serious consequences to your health, your relationships, and your feelings of satisfaction in life. Changing your attitude can be achieved through mindful, conscious thought and attention. Generating a positive attitude, practicing gratitude, and selectively forming new habits that promote positivity is a life-long process that can result in a changed attitude.

Generating a Positive Attitude

• Consider joining a support group for people who are similarly motivated to change their lives for the better.
• In making these changes, chances are you'll notice some patterns of positivity in your life. No one's life is all bad, and by letting go of the parts of your life that no longer serve you, you'll become more aware of the habits you want to strengthen.

• Some disagreement is natural in healthy relationships. Most relationships have some combination of healthy and unhealthy characteristics.
• Talk to a counselor together with your partner if you find yourself unable to change the unhealthy patterns on your own.
• If you are in a relationship that is violent, or emotionally or physically abusive, seek help with a local domestic violence agency. You can find these agencies in the United States by calling 211.

• Make sure to look for the positive in yourself as well.
• Remember that everything is an opportunity to learn new skills, especially the things that feel most difficult at first. If nothing else, you can be grateful for the chance to learn new things in a bad situation.
• Never stay in a situation simply because it's bad. You may be tempted to pretend that unhealthy behavior — a racist boss, an abusive partner, an emotionally manipulative friend — is providing a good opportunity for you to learn patience and tolerance. While this may be true, staying may not be the healthiest choice. One of the most positive things to learn from a bad situation is that you can leave.

• For best results, find ways to do kind things for others in a way that is completely anonymous. For example, fill up all the coin slots in a laundromat with quarters when no one is looking.
• Don't just think of how you would want to be treated; imagine the way another person might want to be treated. For someone who's very shy, perhaps writing him a note to congratulate him on his presentation might be kinder than giving him a loud compliment and hug in front of others.

wikiHow Quiz: What Kind of Reality Check Do I Need?

Pick a sea creature:, developing an attitude of gratitude.

• Some research suggests that writing gratitude lists by hand is a valuable part of this process. The physical act of writing by hand slows down your attention in a meaningful way.
• If you really can't think of anything to be grateful about, pretend to feel grateful. Remember, you're still learning to change your attitude. Consider gratitude as, "Hey, it could be worse."

Moshe Ratson, MFT, PCC

Alternatively, think about starting a gratitude journal. Each day, use your journal to reflect on what you're thankful for. Doing so can improve your mood and help you see things in a more positive way.

• If you want to write the note, but not send it, that's fine. The purpose of writing thank you notes is mostly to practice articulating appreciation. It might not be possible to find people from your past, or the person might be deceased.
• Research shows that people who spend at least 15 minutes per week writing gratitude letters, over 8 weeks, show a demonstrable increase in positivity.

• If you practice a religion, you might turn to prayers found in this religion. If you don't consider yourself a religious person, practices of meditation might be more valuable.
• Even though it may not feel like it, practicing meditation and prayer is a kind of exercise. The more you practice, the better you will become. You may not notice the difference at first, but over time you will be able to maintain a calm, peaceful attitude no matter what's going on around you.

• For another kind of gratitude jar, try adding some change or a dollar to the jar every day when you write in your gratitude journal. When the jar is full, use the money to find creative ways to "pay it forward:" buying gift cards for unsuspecting people who might need the help, or buying flowers for someone who rarely receives recognition.
• If you're a crafty person, decorate your gratitude jar with ribbon, paint, or stickers.

• Notice when you're tempted to complain, and try to find something positive to turn your attention to.
• Complaining focuses your attention on what you'd rather have different without actually requiring you to do anything different. It keeps you in a position of powerlessness.

• Knowing more about why you've made the choices you've made may help you to avoid making bad choices in the future.
• Remember that while most negative circumstances are the result of a conscious choice made on your part, sometimes bad things happen despite careful planning. No one is immune from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
• If you can't find another way to think about a bad situation, ask someone for help. Talk to a counselor, a therapist, a trusted friend or another person. You don't have to face this alone.

Forming New Habits

• If it's easier for you to take an additional hour at the end of the day, you can try this. Most, but not all, people find it more productive to take time in the early morning hours.
• Don't allow yourself to waste the morning time in negative mind traps, like reading depressing news or scrolling through social media.

• This doesn't mean to abandon a friend who may be having a hard time, but if your friend's life is always full of drama and hardship, you may need to take a break.
• If being around negative people is unavoidable (for instance, if it's your boss or supervisor) you may be able to put their negativity to use. Try to understand where it's coming from, and counter it with positivity.

• Think about what adjustments you can make to your daily routine to include more things that bring you happiness.
• Pause several times per day to take your happiness level. If you're feeling happy, think about the circumstances that have contributed to this feeling.

• When you're in a new, stressful situation, pause and take a deep breath before doing or saying anything.
• If you can, take the time to think something out before giving an answer. Say, "I need to think about it."

• You might use a particular word or phrase to return your attention to the present, such as "now" or "present" or "return."
• Don't berate yourself for losing focus. Remember, kindness is essential to developing a positive attitude.

• Try not to keep multiple tabs up on your internet browser, and turn off your phone when you're watching television. If you are washing dishes, turn off the news. Doing one thing at a time, and doing it well, will increase your positive attitude. [15] X Research source
• If you have to multitask, set aside specific times for it. When the time is up, return to your single-task outlook.
• When you're having a conversation with a friend, turn off your phone.
• Slow down your attention to be more fully present in every activity.

Expert Q&A

• Don't worry if you have a hard time changing your attitude. This is a long-term process, and won't be different immediately. Be patient with yourself as you change. Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 1

• If you have signs of clinical depression or anxiety, you may need professional help to change your attitude. Check with your medical health provider, or call 211 (in the United States) to find local resources. Thanks Helpful 22 Not Helpful 8

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• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/happiness-purpose/201503/happiness-life-7-rid-lifes-unnecessary-negatives
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/notes-self/201310/8-keys-healthy-relationships
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/click-here-happiness/202101/the-power-positivity
• ↑ https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/gratitude_journal
• ↑ https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/21/11/gratitude-more-just-saying-thank-you
• ↑ https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2015/08/positive-emotions-your-health
• ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good
• ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_trick_your_brain_for_happiness
• ↑ https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-exercises/
• ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/best-self/2014/08/6-strategies-to-take-control-of-your-attitude-and-stay-positive
• ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier
• ↑ https://positivepsychology.com/present-moment/
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2012/03/the-magic-of-doing-one-thing-a
• ↑ https://www.teachthought.com/technology/25-tips-to-deal-with-digital-distractions/

About This Article

To change your attitude, start by taking action to be kind to others on a regular basis. Just small things filling up the laundromat dryer with quarters for the next person or writing a quick note to cheer up a friend will increase your own positivity. Another key to having a positive mindset is practicing gratitude. Cultivate the discipline of gratitude by keeping a journal where you write down something from each day that you are grateful for. Extend that gratitude to others by sending thank you cards to the people who have helped you, whether it be for something that happened recently years ago. For more tips from our Counseling co-author, like how to improve your attitude with mindfulness and meditation, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The Power of Attitude

When we talk about The R Factor, we talk about how you Respond to any Event to get a better Outcome.  For better or worse, your attitude affects your performance and your response.

Your attitude has a profound impact on the way you lead people. It affects the way you sell and the way you serve customers. Your attitude has a direct impact on how you communicate and collaborate with others, how you contribute to the culture of your work environment, and how you perform your daily tasks and responsibilities. Ultimately, your attitude shapes your success and your happiness. Other things being equal, the person with the best attitude will win. Other things not being equal, the person with the best attitude usually wins. Unfortunately, many people cling to beliefs and attitudes that restrict rather than empower their performance.

The reality is that you determine your attitude. Your attitude is one of the few things in life over which you have total control. Harvard psychologist Williams James: “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.” If you want to perform at your best, and if you want to maximize your happiness and fulfillment, then you must take control of the life-shaping power of your attitude. Please understand: developing and sustaining a positive attitude is not merely a quick-fix motivational technique. It is a disciplined skill that must be practiced and learned.

What is Attitude?

Attitude is the way you look at life. It is the way you choose to see and respond to events, situations, people, and yourself. Your attitude is not something that happens to you. You choose your attitude. Your attitude is created by your thoughts, and you choose your thoughts. You are the architect of your frame of mind. You decide how you will perceive and process the events of life and work. You make the decision if your mindset is positive or negative. If you want to feel better you have to think better. In order to be positive in the way you feel, it is necessary to be disciplined in the way you think.

Performance begins within you. Your mind has enormous power. Indeed, your mind is your most important performance resource. How you see and respond to the events of life and work is shaped by your mindset and patterns of thinking. Therefore, an essential key to success is to train your mind and use it wisely.

Event + Response = Outcome

A distinguishing characteristic of consistently successful people is their ability to maintain a positive and proactive attitude. Successful people think differently than average people. Successful people produce better outcomes because their R Factor is guided by a positive and proactive mindset. Their mind is not cluttered or distracted by pessimism, negativity, or cynicism; as a result, they are able to focus all of their mental energy on exploring solutions, taking effective action, and learning how to get better.

What is Negative Attitude?

A negative attitude is the result of negative thinking. It is a lack of mental discipline. It focuses on the problem and stops looking for solutions or opportunities. A negative attitude can only survive on a steady diet of negative thinking and negative self-talk. A negative attitude is habit-forming, and it has an impact on you and the people around you. A negative attitude affects you physically. A person with a negative attitude will almost always lose to a person with a positive attitude. Sadly, many people with a negative attitude are stuck in a doom loop because they have a negative attitude about improving their attitude. This is not a good place to be!

What is Positive Attitude?

A positive attitude is the result of a disciplined and deliberate way of seeing, thinking, and responding to life. It is a mental discipline. It is intentional. It is mental toughness. A positive attitude is not naïve, and it does not sugarcoat problems. Rather, it sees and acknowledges problems and then focuses on finding solutions and opportunities. It looks for the opportunity within the problem. A positive attitude is habit-forming, and it has an impact on you and people around you. A positive attitude affects you physically. A person with a positive attitude will almost always outperform a person with a negative attitude.

Disciplined Thinking

In order to have a positive and proactive attitude, you must be disciplined and deliberate about the way you see and think about events, situations, people, and yourself. The way you think drives the way you feel; therefore, consciously managing the way you perceive and process events is essential to a positive attitude.

A key element of mental discipline is paying attention to and managing your self-talk. Self-talk is what you say to yourself about situations you’re facing. It is how you choose to interpret and explain the events you are experiencing. Managing your self-talk is critical because words carry thoughts, and thoughts create feelings.

Here’s how it works: Your attitude begins with what you choose to focus on and the words you use to express your focus. A person with an default-driven, negative mindset will focus on a situation and say something like, “That’s a stupid idea. It will never work.”

A person with a discipline-driven, positive mindset will look at the same situation and say something like, “That’s an idea. I’m not sure if it will work, but let’s explore it further and find out.” Note carefully the difference in language between these two mindsets.

The default way of thinking uses phrases like “never” and “always.” The disciplined way of thinking uses language like “possible” and “maybe” and “explore.” Because attitude is so immediately responsive to language, the negative words will trigger negative feelings, and the positive words will trigger positive feelings.

Manage Your Focus

The way you think drives the way you feel. When faced with a difficult or frustrating situation, you can choose to focus on the problem, engage in negative self-talk, and focus your emotional energy on worrying and complaining; or you can acknowledge what is challenging, discipline yourself to see the big picture, engage in productive self-talk, and focus your emotional energy on finding a solution or on enduring the challenge.

Make a note (this is important) that a positive attitude does not ignore problems. It does not gloss over hard issues or disregard what is challenging. In fact, a positive attitude actually sees the situation more accurately and thoroughly because it does not lock-in on the negative aspects of the situation.

A negative attitude tends to be narrow, limiting, and rigid.  Once a negative attitude finds what it is looking for (which it almost always does), it stops looking and stops thinking. A positive attitude, on the other hand, tends to give greater perspective and insight because it stays fully engaged in the search for a solution.

If you think managing internal thoughts to produce a positive, proactive attitude is merely a hyped-up motivational technique, consider the research that confirms the effectiveness and power of this mental discipline. The works of Martin Seligman (see his book Learned Optimism) and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (see his book Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience) are good beginning references. Here is a snapshot of what Csikszentmihalyi has discovered in his studies:

“How we feel about ourselves, the joy we get from living, ultimately depends directly on how the mind filters and interprets everyday experience. A person can make himself happy, or miserable, regardless of what is actually happening ‘outside,’ just by changing the contents of consciousness. The most successful people, the happiest people, are those who learn to take charge of what happens in the mind.”

Simple disciplines for improving attitude…

• Be self-aware of your attitude. Don’t just let it happen. Pay attention to it.
• Refocus, reframe, and respond when your attitude becomes impulsive or negative.
• Be aware of the things that tend to trigger a disruptive attitude in you. Anticipate. Plan ahead.
• Manage your internal stories and scripts. Master the art of productive self-talk. Is your language helping or hurting? You talk to yourself more than to any other person in your life. Get good at it.
• When there is a problem, acknowledge it. Then immediately focus on finding solutions and opportunities for action. Immediately.
• Ruthlessly eliminate BCD from your life: Blaming, Complaining, Defensiveness.
• Turn off the TV. Invest in yourself. Don’t waste your time watching other people’s lives.
• Start every day with a time of reflection and preparation . Be disciplined and intentional about the way you start your day. Put yourself in a discipline-driven frame of mind.
• Be patient. Be tough. It takes time to build a winning attitude.
• Keep things in perspective . Never lose sight of the big picture.

Where in your life could you use an attitude adjustment?

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Attitude Change

Attitude change definition.

Attitudes are general evaluations of objects, ideas, and people one encounters throughout one’s life (e.g., “capital punishment is bad”). Attitudes are important because they can guide thought, behavior, and feelings. Attitude change occurs anytime an attitude is modified. Thus, change occurs when a person goes from being positive to negative, from slightly positive to very positive, or from having no attitude to having one. Because of the functional value of attitudes, the processes that change them have been a major focus throughout the history of social psychology.

Dual Process Approach to Attitude Change

According to dual process models of attitude change, research on this topic can be organized according to two general types of processes: (1) those that occur when one puts forth relatively little cognitive effort, and (2) those that occur with relatively high cognitive effort. The amount of thought and effort used in any given situation is determined by many variables, all of which affect one’s motivation or ability to think. Some examples include one’s personal preference for engaging in complex thought, the personal relevance of the attitude object, and the amount of distraction present while attempting to think. Furthermore, both high- and low-effort processes can operate whether or not a persuasive message is presented.

Low-Effort Processes

When factors keep one’s motivation and/or ability to think low (such as when the issue is not personally relevant or there are many distractions present), attitude change can be produced by a variety of low-effort processes. These include some largely automatic associative processes as well as simple inferential processes.

Associative Processes

Classical Conditioning . One way to produce attitude change in the absence of effortful thought is to repeatedly associate an initially neutral attitude object with another stimulus that already possesses a positive or negative meaning. For example, imagine that every time you saw your uncle as a child he took you to the zoo. Assuming you enjoy going to the zoo, you will likely start to feel more positively toward your uncle. If, instead, every time you saw him he took you to the doctor to get your immunization shots, the opposite result is more likely. Although research on this process has demonstrated that it is most effective for previously neutral stimuli (such as novel words or objects), significant attitude change has also been found for positive and negative attitude objects as well. One series of studies found that repeatedly pairing words related to the self (e.g., I and me) with positive stimuli caused significant increases in a later measure of participants’ self-esteem. Thus, continually associating an attitude object or message with something you already like (e.g., an attractive source) can lead to positive attitudes.

Affective Priming . Another process that involves the association of two stimuli is called affective priming. In this process a positive or negative stimulus (e.g., words such as love or murder) is encountered just prior to a novel attitude object (rather than following it, as occurs in classical conditioning). When this happens, one’s reaction to the positive or negative stimulus will come to color the evaluation of the new object, producing attitude change. Imagine, for instance, that you are at an unfamiliar restaurant and are about to try a totally new dish. If this meal is brought to you by a very attractive waiter or waitress, your positive reaction toward this server is likely to influence your initial attitude toward the food. Although this attitude may change as you interact with the attitude object (i.e., when you eat the food), the initial positive evaluation will make it more likely that your final attitude is also positive.

Mere Exposure . In both of the processes discussed so far, an attitude is altered by the attitude object’s association with a positive or negative stimulus. In contrast, research on the mere exposure effect has found that repeated exposure to an object in the absence of association can also change attitudes. Quite simply, this process requires only that one is repeatedly exposed to an attitude object. When this occurs, the attitude toward the object becomes more positive; possibly due to the fact that the object has actually become associated with the absence of anything negative. The strongest mere exposure effects occur when the repeated attitude object is low in meaning (e.g., novel) or is presented outside of conscious awareness. One intriguing implication of this phenomenon is that mere exposure might help to account for the preference a newborn infant shows for his or her mother’s voice. As the child develops in the womb, one stimulus that is repeated every day is the mother’s voice. Thus, mere exposure to this stimulus should cause the child’s attitude toward the voice (and subsequently its source) to become positive, enhancing the mother-child bond.

Inferential Processes

Balance . One simple inferential process of attitude change involves cognitive balance. Stated simply, balance is achieved when people agree with those they like and disagree with those they dislike. When this is not the case, one experiences a state of unease, and attitudes are likely to shift to bring the system into balance. For instance, suppose you discover that you and your worst enemy both love the same band. When this occurs, you are likely to experience an uncomfortable state of imbalance, and to rectify this inconsistency, one of your attitudes will likely change. Thus, upon learning the information, you may come to find your previous enemy much less distasteful or, alternatively, feel less positively toward the band.

Attribution . At its most general level, attribution concerns the inferences that people make about themselves and others after witnessing a behavior and the situation in which it occurred. Although this topic is highly studied in and of itself, its research has also outlined a number of processes that can create low-effort attitude change. One attributional process, which occurs when people are not well attuned to their own beliefs, is self-perception. In this process, people infer their own attitudes from their behaviors, just as they would for someone else. Thus, people can infer that if they are eating a peach or watching a pro-peach advertisement, they must like peaches, even if they hadn’t considered this possibility before. When this inference is made, it produces attitude change, making their attitude toward peaches more positive.

In a related phenomenon, called the overjustification effect, people come to infer that they dislike a previously enjoyed activity when they are provided with overly sufficient rewards for engaging in it. Research has demonstrated this effect by providing children with candy or other rewards for engaging in an activity they had previously performed merely for its own sake (e.g., coloring). When this happens, the children infer that they were performing the activity for the reward, not for its mere enjoyment, and their attitude toward engaging in the behavior becomes less positive.

Heuristics . One final process through which low-effort attitude change can occur is through the use of heuristics, or simple decision rules based on prior experiences or observations. Although there are countless heuristics, some examples are “experts are usually correct” and “bigger is better.” When motivation and ability to think are low, people can use simple rules like these to form evaluations. For instance, in deciding what new music is good, someone might simply walk over to the bestseller section at the local music store and survey the current top selections. By basing their opinions on the rule that “the majority is usually right,” they establish positive attitudes toward those artists they discover in this section and avoid more effortful (and costly) processes such as critically listening to each performer’s music. Or, instead of thinking carefully about all of the arguments in a persuasive message about a new pain reliever, a person might simply count the arguments and reason, “the more arguments, the better.”

High-Effort Processes

There are also attitude change processes that require a greater use of mental resources. When a person is motivated and able to invest high effort in making a judgment about an issue or object, attitude change can occur due to characteristics of his or her thoughts (e.g., whether the thoughts are favorable or unfavorable), his or her estimation that good or bad outcomes will be tied to the attitude object, or the person’s realization that he or she holds conflicting beliefs about a set of attitude objects.

Cognitive Responses . When people’s attitudes change through the use of high cognitive effort, some of the most important aspects to consider are their actual thoughts (cognitive responses) toward the attitude object and any persuasive message that is received on the topic. Although there are a number of different aspects to consider, three components of thought have proven especially important in producing change. The first, and most obvious, is whether thoughts about the attitude object or message are largely favorable or unfavorable. By examining the ratio of positive to negative thoughts, the likely amount of attitude change produced can be approximated. If there is a greater proportion of favorable than unfavorable thoughts, your attitude will change in a positive direction. The opposite is true if there is a greater proportion of negative thoughts. A second important dimension concerns how much thinking is done. For example, the more positive thoughts one has about an attitude object, the more favorable the attitudes will be. The third, and final, aspect of thought is related to confidence. When thinking about an attitude object or persuasive message, people will have varying confidence in each of their discrete thoughts. To the extent that they are highly confident in a thought, it will have a great impact on their final attitude. Those thoughts that are associated with low confidence, however, will play a relatively minor role in any attitude change. Many things can affect one’s confidence in a thought, such as how easily it comes to mind.

Although these three factors are easy to imagine operating in traditional persuasion settings (e.g., when you view an advertisement for some commercial product), they also influence attitude change in the absence of any persuasive message. One way in which this occurs is when people role play, or imagine what someone else would think about an issue. Imagine, for instance, that you enjoy smoking cigarettes. Now, generate as many reasons as you can to stop smoking. Because of the cognitive responses you’ve created by engaging in this process, you may change your own attitudes toward smoking. As you can probably guess, the more thought and effort you put into the role play, the more likely it is that attitude change will occur. If you did put a great deal of effort into the exercise, then you’ve probably created a number of negative thoughts about smoking tobacco. In this case, you might expect that your attitude has become more negative toward smoking. This may or may not be true, however, depending on the confidence you have in the thoughts that were produced. If you generated a large number of antismoking thoughts but had low confidence in the validity of each one, then they would have very little impact on your attitude, especially if they were countered by some very positive thoughts that were held with high confidence.

Expectancy-Value Processes . According to the reasoned action theory, attitudes are created through an individual’s assessment of how likely it is that a given attitude object will be associated with positive (or negative) consequences or values. The more likely it is that an attitude object (e.g., a car) is associated with a positive consequence (being able to travel to work) or value (staying safe), the more positive the attitude will be. Although some researchers have argued that all attitudes are determined in this manner, it is most likely that this process only occurs when people put sufficient effort into considering all of the possible consequences and values that may be tied to a given attitude object. Interestingly, when people engage in this process of effortful consideration of an object or message, they may actually change their own attitude. If, for instance, you recently purchased a sport utility vehicle merely for the image it provides, your attitude toward it may become more negative if you are prompted to consider all of the consequences (e.g., very expensive fuel bills) and values (e.g., promoting U.S. independence from foreign oil supplies) that are associated with it.

Dissonance Processes . According to cognitive dissonance theory, people are motivated to hold consistent attitudes. Because of this motivation for consistency, people experience unpleasant physiological arousal (an increase in heart rate, sweaty palms, etc.) when they willingly engage in a behavior that is counter to their beliefs or are made aware that they possess two or more conflicting attitudes. This experience then motivates them to change their attitudes so that the unpleasant feelings can be eliminated. When people make a choice from among alternatives, dissonance processes will often produce attitude change. Research has shown that once people make a choice, attitudes toward each of the potential choices will change such that the chosen alternative will be viewed more positively and the nonchosen alternative(s) will be viewed more negatively than prior to the choice. This reduces the aversive dissonance experience that would have occurred if they still felt very positively toward an unselected option. If you’ve ever bought a product that turned out to have flaws, then you’ve probably experienced dissonance. When a situation like this occurs, your behavior (purchasing the product) is not consistent with your beliefs about the product (it is flawed), and this causes dissonance. To resolve this dissonance, you must change either your attitude toward the product (and decide that it is actually good) or your behavior (return it to the store).

Attitude Strength

One of the most important characteristics of an attitude is its strength. Attitude strength is associated with an attitude’s persistence, resistance to change, and ability to predict behavior. The stronger an attitude, the more it exhibits these characteristics. As you might expect, attitudes produced by high-effort cognitive processes are stronger than those produced by low-effort processes. Because they are the result of greater cognitive effort, these attitudes are often based on more consistent information, are supported by a more developed knowledge structure (e.g., related beliefs and values), and are held with greater certainty than are attitudes produced by a low-effort process. If, for instance, your recent car purchase was based on months of research and test-drives, then you are likely to have a whole host of information that supports your positive attitude toward the vehicle. This associated information will then serve to buoy the attitude, allowing it to persist over the life of the vehicle and resist change (e.g., following negative experiences like breakdowns). If your attitude was instead based on a low-effort process (e.g., a heuristic rule, “if it looks good, it is good”), then this attitude may be easily changed when you experience negative events and become motivated to think critically about the attitude object.

• Petty, R. E., Wheeler, S. C., & Tormala, Z. L. (2003). Persuasion and attitude change. In T. Millon & M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Personality and social psychology (pp. 353-382). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

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The Components of Attitude

Formation of an Attitude and How It Can Be Changed

Overview of Attitude

Attitude formation, attitudes impact on behavior, why attitudes change.

In psychology, an attitude refers to a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviors toward a particular object, person, thing, or event. Attitude can also be described as the way we evaluate something or someone. For example, we tend to respond positively or negatively about certain subjects.

We can summarize the main components of attitude which are a collection of our thoughts, feelings, and actions in a given scenario. They are formed as a result of our life experiences, upbringing, education, and social influences.

Our positive and negative attitudes can have a powerful influence on our behavior in various situations. While attitudes are often enduring, they can also change. Read on to discover more about the formation of attitudes and what factors are required for a change of heart .

Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell 

To understand the meaning of attitudes, it can be helpful to look at a few different examples. Consider what your attitude is about the following:

• The death penalty
• Which political party does a better job of running the country
• Whether prayer should be allowed in schools
• Whether violence on television should be regulated

Chances are that you probably have fairly strong opinions on these and other similar topics. You've developed a passionate inner response about such issues, which can influence how you feel, what you do, and how you interact with people.

Attitudes are an important topic of study within the field of social psychology . But what exactly is an attitude? How does it develop? 

How Psychologists Define Attitudes

Psychologists define attitudes as a learned tendency to view and judge things in a certain way. This can include an evaluation of people, issues, objects, policies, or events. It is an umbrella term that consists of our opinions, emotions, perceptions, beliefs, expectations, values, and intentions.

Such dispositions are often positive or negative, but they can also be uncertain or neutral at times. For example, you might have mixed feelings about a particular person or issue.

Researchers also suggest that there are three main dimensions that make up our attitudes. The components of attitudes are sometimes referred to as the ABC's of attitude.

3 Components of Attitude

• Affective Component:  How the object, person, issue, or event makes you feel.
• Behavioral Component:  How you respond to someone or something that elicits a set of feelings and beliefs. This can be a verbal or a physical response.
• Cognitive Component:  Your perception, ideas, and beliefs about the subject matter.

Attitudes can also be explicit and implicit.

• Explicit attitudes are those that we are consciously aware of and that clearly influence our emotional and behavioral reactions.
• Implicit attitudes are unconscious but still impact our emotions and behaviors.

Several factors can influence how and why attitudes form, including:

Attitudes form directly as a result of personal experience with people, situations, objects, and ideologies. For example, you may experience a social interaction in a favorable way and form a positive attitude about that person, family, or group. On the other hand, you may have an unpleasant encounter that influences an unfavorable attitude.

Attitudes can be learned in a variety of ways.

• Classical Conditioning : Consider how advertisers use classical conditioning to influence your attitude toward a particular product. In a television commercial, you see young, beautiful people having fun on a tropical beach while enjoying a sports drink. This attractive and appealing imagery causes you to develop a positive association with this particular beverage.
• Operant conditioning : Consider how rewards and punishments can influence our attitudes (known as operant conditioning ). Imagine a young man who has just started smoking. Whenever he lights up a cigarette, people complain, chastise him, and ask him to leave their vicinity. This negative feedback from those around him eventually causes him to develop an unfavorable opinion of smoking and he decides to give up the habit.
• Observational learning : Finally, people learn attitudes by observing people around them. When someone you admire greatly espouses a particular attitude, you are more likely to develop the same beliefs. For example, children spend a great deal of time observing the attitudes of their parents and usually begin to demonstrate similar outlooks. In addition, social media is having a profound influence on our attitudes as we are exposed to a variety of social media influencers.

Social and Cultural Factors

Social roles and cultural norms can have a strong influence on attitudes. Social roles relate to how people are expected to behave in a particular role or context. Cultural norms involve society's rules for what behaviors are considered appropriate.

Attitudes can form through direct experience, observations, formal education, conditioning processes, and social/cultural factors.

We tend to assume that people behave according to their attitudes. However, social psychologists have found that attitudes and actual behavior are not always perfectly aligned.

After all, plenty of people support a particular candidate or political party yet fail to vote. Some situations may evoke a strong passionate response, but the environment calls for self-control, professionalism, grace, and poise no matter how upset you may feel.

Essentially, people are more likely to behave according to their attitudes under certain conditions mitigated by personal values and social expectations.

Factors Influencing Attitude Strength

• You are an expert on the subject
• You experience something personally
• You expect a favorable outcome
• You stand to lose something due to the issue
• You have passion about the subject
• You are comfortable expressing your opinions

While attitudes can have a powerful effect on behavior, they are not set in stone. The same influences that lead to attitude formation can also create attitude change.

Learning Theory

Classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning can be used to bring about attitude change.

• Classical conditioning can be used to create positive emotional reactions to an object, person, or event by associating positive feelings with the target object.
• Operant conditioning can be used to strengthen desirable attitudes and weaken undesirable ones.
• People can also change their attitudes after observing the behavior of others.

Elaboration Likelihood Theory

This theory of persuasion suggests that people can alter their attitudes in two ways.

• They can be motivated to listen to an elaborate explanation and think about the message (central route persuasion), thus leading to an attitude shift.
• They might be influenced by the likable characteristics of the speaker (peripheral route persuasion), leading to a temporary or surface shift in attitude.

Messages that are thought-provoking and that appeal to logic are more likely to lead to permanent changes in attitudes.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

In some cases, people may alter their attitudes to better align them with their current behaviors. Cognitive dissonance is a phenomenon in which a person experiences psychological distress due to conflicting beliefs and behaviors. To reduce this tension, people may change their attitudes to match their actual behaviors or alter their behavior to be more congruent with their beliefs.

In order to minimize the cognitive dissonance between your conflicting attitude and behavior, you either have to change the attitude or change your actions.

Imagine the following situation: You've always placed a high value on financial security, but you start dating someone very financially unstable. You have two options to reduce the tension caused by conflicting beliefs and behavior. You can end the relationship and seek a more financially secure partner, or you can de-emphasize the importance of fiscal stability and focus on other important character traits instead.

Attitudes are not set in stone and may change when people learn new information, when they are persuaded by influential people, or when they experience discomfort due to holding conflicting beliefs.

Final Thoughts

Attitudes play a pivotal role in shaping human behavior, from the choices people make about living their lives to the health behaviors they engage in daily. Understanding where these attitudes come from and how they sometimes change can help you look for ways to improve your attitudes, whether it means adopting a more positive outlook on life or changing your opinion based on new information.

Bagozi R. Advanced Methods of Marketing Research . Blackwell Business; 1994.

Jain V. 3D model of attitude . International Journal of Advanced Research in Management and Social Sciences . 2014; 3(3):1-12.

Chaiklin H. Attitudes, behavior, and social practice . The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare : 2011;38(1). doi:10.15453/0191-5096.3583 

American Psychological Association.  Teaching tip sheet: Attitudes and behavior change . 

Perlovsky L.  A challenge to human evolution—cognitive dissonance .  Frontiers in Psychology . 2013;4. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00179

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Chapter 4. Attitudes, Behavior, and Persuasion

4.2 Changing Attitudes through Persuasion

Learning Objectives

• Outline how persuasion is determined by the choice of effective communicators and effective messages.
• Review the conditions under which attitudes are best changed using spontaneous versus thoughtful strategies.
• Summarize the variables that make us more or less resistant to persuasive appeals.

Every day we are bombarded by advertisements of every sort. The goal of these ads is to sell us cars, computers, video games, clothes, and even political candidates. The ads appear on billboards, website popup ads, buses, TV infomercials, and…well, you name it! It’s been estimated that over $500 billion is spent annually on advertising worldwide (Johnson, 2013).

There is substantial evidence that advertising is effective in changing attitudes. After the R. J. Reynolds Company started airing its Joe Camel ads for cigarettes on TV in the 1980s, Camel’s share of cigarette sales to children increased dramatically. But persuasion can also have more positive outcomes. For instance, a review of the research literature indicates that mass-media anti-smoking campaigns are associated with reduced smoking rates among both adults and youth (Friend & Levy, 2001). Persuasion is also used to encourage people to donate to charitable causes, to volunteer to give blood, and to engage in healthy behaviors.

If you think that advertisers and marketers have too much influence, then this section will help you understand how to resist such attempts at persuasion. Following the approach used by some of the earliest social psychologists and that still forms the basis of thinking about the power of communication, we will consider which communicators can deliver the most effective messages to which types of message recipients (Hovland, Lumsdaine, & Sheffield (1949).

Choosing Effective Communicators

In order to be effective persuaders, we must first get people’s attention, then send an effective message to them, and then ensure that they process the message in the way we would like them to. Furthermore, to accomplish these goals, persuaders must consider the cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of their methods. Persuaders also must understand how the communication they are presenting relates to the message recipient—his or her motivations, desires, and goals.

Research has demonstrated that the same message will be more effective if is delivered by a more persuasive communicator. In general, we can say that communicators are more effective when they help their recipients feel good about themselves—that is, by appealing to self-concern. For instance, attractive communicators are frequently more effective persuaders than are unattractive communicators. Attractive communicators create a positive association with the product they are trying to sell and put us in a good mood, which makes us more likely to accept their messages. And as the many marketers who include free gifts, such as mailing labels or small toys, in their requests for charitable donations well know, we are more likely to respond to communicators who offer us something personally beneficial.

We’re also more persuaded by people who are similar to us in terms of opinions and values than by those whom we perceive as being different. This is of course why advertisements targeted at teenagers frequently use teenagers to present the message, and why advertisements targeted at the elderly use older communicators.

When communicators are perceived as attractive and similar to us, we tend to like them. And we also tend to trust the people that we like. The success of Tupperware parties, in which friends get together to buy products from other friends, may be due more to the fact that people like the “salesperson” than to the nature of the product. People such as the media mogul Oprah Winfrey, tennis star Roger Federer, and the musician Bono have been used as communicators for products in part because we see them as trustworthy and thus likely to present an unbiased message. Trustworthy communicators are effective because they allow us to feel good about ourselves when we accept their message, often without critically evaluating its content (Priester & Petty, 2003).

Expert communicators may sometimes be perceived as trustworthy because they know a lot about the product they are selling. When a doctor recommends that we take a particular drug, we are likely to be influenced because we know that he or she has expertise about the effectiveness of drugs. It is no surprise that advertisers use race car drivers to sell cars and basketball players to sell athletic shoes.

Although expertise comes in part from having knowledge, it can also be communicated by how one presents a message. Communicators who speak confidently, quickly, and in a straightforward way are seen as more expert than those who speak in a more hesitating and slower manner. Taking regular speech and speeding it up by deleting very small segments of it, so that it sounds the same but actually goes faster, makes the same communication more persuasive (MacLachlan & Siegel, 1980; Moore, Hausknecht, & Thamodaran, 1986). This is probably in part because faster speech makes the communicator seem more like an expert but also because faster speech reduces the listener’s ability to come up with counterarguments as he or she listens to the message (Megehee, Dobie, & Grant, 2003). Effective speakers frequently use this technique, and some of the best persuaders are those who speak quickly.

Expert communicators are expected to know a lot about the product they are endorsing, but they may not be seen as trustworthy if their statements seem to be influenced by external causes. People who are seen to be arguing in their own self-interest (e.g., an expert witness who is paid by the lawyers in a case; a celebrity who is paid to endorse a product) may be ineffective because we may discount their communications (Eagly, Wood, & Chaiken, 1978; Wood & Eagly, 1981). On the other hand, when a person presents a message that goes against external causes, for instance, by arguing in favor of an opinion to a person who is known to disagree with it, we see the internal states (that the individual really believes in the message he or she is expressing) as even more powerful.

Communicators also may be seen as biased if they present only one side of an issue while completely ignoring the potential problems or counterarguments to the message. In these cases, people who are informed about both sides of the topic may see the communicator as attempting to unfairly influence them.

Although we are generally very aware of the potential that communicators may deliver messages that are inaccurate or designed to influence us, and we are able to discount messages that come from sources that we do not view as trustworthy, there is one interesting situation in which we may be fooled by communicators. This occurs when a message is presented by someone whom we perceive as untrustworthy. When we first hear that person’s communication, we appropriately discount it, and it therefore has little influence on our opinions. However, over time there is a tendency to remember the content of a communication to a greater extent than we remember the source of the communication. As a result, we may forget over time to discount the remembered message. This attitude change that occurs over time is known as the sleeper effect (Kumkale & Albarracín, 2004).

Perhaps you’ve experienced the sleeper effect. During high-profile election campaigns, candidates sometimes produce advertisements that attack their opponents. These kinds of communications occasionally stretch the truth in order to win public favor, which is why many people listen to them with a grain of salt. The trouble occurs, however, when people remember the claims made but forget the source of the communication. The sleeper effect is diagrammed in Figure 4.5, “The Sleeper Effect.”

Creating Effective Communications

Once we have chosen a communicator, the next step is to determine what type of message we should have him or her deliver. Neither social psychologists nor advertisers are so naïve as to think that simply presenting a strong message is sufficient. No matter how good the message is, it will not be effective unless people pay attention to it, understand it, accept it, and incorporate it into their self-concept. This is why we attempt to choose good communicators to present our ads in the first place, and why we tailor our communications to get people to process them the way we want them to.

The messages that we deliver may be processed either spontaneously (other terms for this include peripherally or heuristically —Chen & Chaiken, 1999; Petty & Wegener, 1999) or thoughtfully (other terms for this include centrally or systematically ). Spontaneous processing is direct, quick, and often involves affective responses to the message. Thoughtful processing, on the other hand, is more controlled and involves a more careful cognitive elaboration of the meaning of the message (Figure 4.6). The route that we take when we process a communication is important in determining whether or not a particular message changes attitudes.

Spontaneous Message Processing

Because we are bombarded with so many persuasive messages—and because we do not have the time, resources, or interest to process every message fully—we frequently process messages spontaneously. In these cases, if we are influenced by the communication at all, it is likely that it is the relatively unimportant characteristics of the advertisement, such as the likeability or attractiveness of the communicator or the music playing in the ad, that will influence us.

If we find the communicator cute, if the music in the ad puts us in a good mood, or if it appears that other people around us like the ad, then we may simply accept the message without thinking about it very much (Giner-Sorolla & Chaiken, 1997). In these cases, we engage in spontaneous message processing, in which we accept a persuasion attempt because we focus on whatever is most obvious or enjoyable, without much attention to the message itself . Shelley Chaiken (1980) found that students who were not highly involved in a topic because it did not affect them personally, were more persuaded by a likeable communicator than by an unlikeable one, regardless of whether the communicator presented a good argument for the topic or a poor one. On the other hand, students who were more involved in the decision were more persuaded by the better message than by the poorer one, regardless of whether the communicator was likeable or not—they were not fooled by the likeability of the communicator.

You might be able to think of some advertisements that are likely to be successful because they create spontaneous processing of the message by basing their persuasive attempts around creating emotional responses in the listeners. In these cases, the advertisers use associational learning to associate the positive features of the ad with the product. Television commercials are often humorous, and automobile ads frequently feature beautiful people having fun driving beautiful cars. The slogans “I’m lovin’ it,” “Life tastes good,” and “Good to the last drop” are good ads in part because they successfully create positive affect in the listener.

In some cases emotional ads may be effective because they lead us to watch or listen to the ad rather than simply change the channel or do something else. The clever and funny TV ads that are broadcast during the Super Bowl every year are likely to be effective because we watch them, remember them, and talk about them with others. In this case, the positive affect makes the ads more salient, causing them to grab our attention. But emotional ads also take advantage of the role of affect in information processing. We tend to like things more when we are in a good mood, and—because positive affect indicates that things are okay—we process information less carefully when we are in a good mood. Thus the spontaneous approach to persuasion is particularly effective when people are happy (Sinclair, Mark, & Clore, 1994), and advertisers try to take advantage of this fact.

Another type of ad that is based on emotional response is one that uses fear appeals, such as ads that show pictures of deadly automobile accidents to encourage seatbelt use or images of lung cancer surgery to decrease smoking. By and large, fearful messages are persuasive (Das, de Wit, & Stroebe, 2003; Perloff, 2003; Witte & Allen, 2000). Again, this is due in part to the fact that the emotional aspects of the ads make them salient and lead us to attend to and remember them. And fearful ads may also be framed in a way that leads us to focus on the salient negative outcomes that have occurred for one particular individual. When we see an image of a person who is jailed for drug use, we may be able to empathize with that person and imagine how we would feel if it happened to us. Thus this ad may be more effective than more “statistical” ads stating the base rates of the number of people who are jailed for drug use every year.

Fearful ads also focus on self-concern, and advertisements that are framed in a way that suggests that a behavior will harm the self are more effective than those framed more positively. Banks, Salovey, Greener, and Rothman (1995) found that a message that emphasized the negative aspects of not getting a breast cancer screening mammogram (e.g., “Not getting a mammogram can cost you your life”) was more effective than a similar message that emphasized the positive aspects of having a mammogram (e.g., “Getting a mammogram can save your life”) in convincing women to have a mammogram over the next year. These findings are consistent with the general idea that the brain responds more strongly to negative affect than it does to positive affect (Ito, Larsen, Smith, & Cacioppo, 1998).

Although laboratory studies generally find that fearful messages are effective in persuasion, they may be less useful in real-world advertising campaigns (Hastings, Stead, & Webb, 2004). Fearful messages may create a lot of anxiety and therefore turn people off to the message (Shehryar & Hunt, 2005). For instance, people who know that smoking cigarettes is dangerous but who cannot seem to quit may experience particular anxiety about their smoking behaviors. Fear messages are more effective when people feel that they know how to rectify the problem, have the ability to actually do so, and take responsibility for the change. Without some feelings of self-efficacy, people do not know how to respond to the fear (Aspinwall, Kemeny, Taylor, & Schneider, 1991). Thus if you want to scare people into changing their behavior, it may be helpful if you also give them some ideas about how to do so, so that they feel like they have the ability to take action to make the changes (Passyn & Sujan, 2006).

Thoughtful Message Processing

When we process messages only spontaneously, our feelings are more likely to be important, but when we process messages thoughtfully, cognition prevails. When we care about the topic, find it relevant, and have plenty of time to think about the communication, we are likely to process the message more deliberatively, carefully, and thoughtfully (Petty & Briñol, 2008). In this case we elaborate on the communication by considering the pros and cons of the message and questioning the validity of the communicator and the message. Thoughtful message processing   occurs when we think about how the message relates to our own beliefs and goals and involves our careful consideration of whether the persuasion attempt is valid or invalid.

When an advertiser presents a message that he or she hopes will be processed thoughtfully, the goal is to create positive cognitions about the attitude object in the listener. The communicator mentions positive features and characteristics of the product and at the same time attempts to downplay the negative characteristics. When people are asked to list their thoughts about a product while they are listening to, or right after they hear, a message, those who list more positive thoughts also express more positive attitudes toward the product than do those who list more negative thoughts (Petty & Briñol, 2008). Because the thoughtful processing of the message bolsters the attitude, thoughtful processing helps us develop strong attitudes, which are therefore resistant to counterpersuasion (Petty, Cacioppo, & Goldman, 1981).

Which Route Do We Take: Thoughtful or Spontaneous?

Both thoughtful and spontaneous messages can be effective, but it is important to know which is likely to be better in which situation and for which people. When we can motivate people to process our message carefully and thoughtfully, then we are going to be able to present our strong and persuasive arguments with the expectation that our audience will attend to them. If we can get the listener to process these strong arguments thoughtfully, then the attitude change will likely be strong and long lasting. On the other hand, when we expect our listeners to process only spontaneously—for instance, if they don’t care too much about our message or if they are busy doing other things—then we do not need to worry so much about the content of the message itself; even a weak (but interesting) message can be effective in this case. Successful advertisers tailor their messages to fit the expected characteristics of their audiences.

In addition to being motivated to process the message, we must also have the ability to do so. If the message is too complex to understand, we may rely on spontaneous cues, such as the perceived trustworthiness or expertise of the communicator (Hafer, Reynolds, & Obertynski, 1996), and ignore the content of the message. When experts are used to attempt to persuade people—for instance, in complex jury trials—the messages that these experts give may be very difficult to understand. In these cases, the jury members may rely on the perceived expertise of the communicator rather than his or her message, being persuaded in a relatively spontaneous way. In other cases, we may not be able to process the information thoughtfully because we are distracted or tired—in these cases even weak messages can be effective, again because we process them spontaneously (Petty, Wells & Brock, 1976).

Petty, Cacioppo, and Goldman (1981) showed how different motivations may lead to either spontaneous or thoughtful processing. In their research, college students heard a message suggesting that the administration at their college was proposing to institute a new comprehensive exam that all students would need to pass in order to graduate, and then rated the degree to which they were favorable toward the idea. The researchers manipulated three independent variables:

• Message strength. The message contained either strong arguments (persuasive data and statistics about the positive effects of the exams at other universities) or weak arguments (relying only on individual quotations and personal opinions).
• Source expertise. The message was supposedly prepared either by an expert source (the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, which was chaired by a professor of education at Princeton University) or by a nonexpert source (a class at a local high school).
• Personal relevance. The students were told either that the new exam would begin before they graduated ( high personal relevance ) or that it would not begin until after they had already graduated ( low personal relevance ).

As you can see in Figure 4.8, Petty and his colleagues found two interaction effects. The top panel of the figure shows that the students in the high personal relevance condition (left side) were not particularly influenced by the expertise of the source, whereas the students in the low personal relevance condition (right side) were. On the other hand, as you can see in the bottom panel, the students who were in the high personal relevance condition (left side) were strongly influenced by the quality of the argument, but the low personal involvement students (right side) were not.

These findings fit with the idea that when the issue was important, the students engaged in thoughtful processing of the message itself. When the message was largely irrelevant, they simply used the expertise of the source without bothering to think about the message.

Because both thoughtful and spontaneous approaches can be successful, advertising campaigns, such as those used by Apple, carefully make use of both spontaneous and thoughtful messages. For example, the ad may showcase the new and useful features of a device like the iPad amid scenes of happy, creative, or productive people and an inspiring soundtrack.

Preventing Persuasion

To this point, we have focused on techniques designed to change attitudes. But it is also useful to develop techniques that prevent attitude change. If you are hoping that Magritte will never puff that first cigarette, then you might be interested in knowing what her parents might be able to do to prevent that from happening.

One approach to improving an individual’s ability to resist persuasion is to help the person create a strong attitude. Strong attitudes are more difficult to change than are weak attitudes, and we are more likely to act on our strong attitudes. This suggests that Magritte’s parents might want help Magritte consider all the reasons that she should not smoke and develop strong negative affect about smoking. As Magritte’s negative thoughts and feelings about smoking become more well defined and more integrated into the self-concept, they should have a greater influence on her behavior.

One method of increasing attitude strength involves forewarning: giving people a chance to develop a resistance to persuasion by reminding them that they might someday receive a persuasive message, and allowing them to practice how they will respond to influence attempts (Sagarin & Wood, 2007). Magritte’s parents might want to try the forewarning approach. After the forewarning, when Magritte hears the smoking message from her peers, she may be less influenced by it because she was aware ahead of time that the persuasion would likely occur and had already considered how to resist it.

Forewarning seems to be particularly effective when the message that is expected to follow attacks an attitude that we care a lot about. In these cases, the forewarning prepares us for action—we bring up our defenses to maintain our existing beliefs. When we don’t care much about the topic, on the other hand, we may simply change our belief before the appeal actually comes (Wood & Quinn, 2003).

Forewarning can be effective in helping people respond to persuasive messages that they will receive later.

A similar approach is to help build up the cognitive component of the attitude by presenting a weak attack on the existing attitude with the goal of helping the person create counterarguments about a persuasion attempt that is expected to come in the future. Just as an inoculation against the flu gives us a small dose of the influenza virus that helps prevent a bigger attack later, giving Magritte a weak argument to persuade her to smoke cigarettes can help her develop ways to resist the real attempts when they come in the future. This procedure—known as inoculation — involves building up defenses against persuasion by mildly attacking the attitude position (Compton & Pfau, 2005; McGuire, 1961). We would begin by telling Magritte the reasons that her friends might think that she should smoke (for instance, because everyone is doing it and it makes people look “cool”), therefore allowing her to create some new defenses against persuasion. Thinking about the potential arguments that she might receive and preparing the corresponding counterarguments will make the attitude stronger and more resistant to subsequent change attempts.

One difficulty with forewarning and inoculation attempts is that they may boomerang. If we feel that another person—for instance, a person who holds power over us—is attempting to take away our freedom to make our own decisions, we may respond with strong emotion, completely ignore the persuasion attempt, and perhaps even engage in the opposite behavior. Perhaps you can remember a time when you felt like your parents or someone else who had some power over you put too much pressure on you, and you rebelled against them.

The strong emotional response that we experience when we feel that our freedom of choice is being taken away when we expect that we should have choice is known as psychological reactance (Brehm, 1966; Miron & Brehm, 2006). If Magritte’s parents are too directive in their admonitions about not smoking, she may feel that they do not trust her to make her own decisions and are attempting to make them for her. In this case, she may experience reactance and become more likely to start smoking. Erceg-Hurn and Steed (2011) found that the graphic warning images that are placed on cigarette packs could create reactance in people who viewed them, potentially reducing the warnings’ effectiveness in convincing people to stop smoking.

Given the extent to which our judgments and behaviors are frequently determined by processes that occur outside of our conscious awareness, you might wonder whether it is possible to persuade people to change their attitudes or to get people to buy products or engage in other behaviors using subliminal advertising. Subliminal advertising occurs when a message, such as an advertisement or another image of a brand, is presented to the consumer without the person being aware that a message has been presented—for instance, by flashing messages quickly in a TV show, an advertisement, or a movie (Theus, 1994).

Social Psychology in the Public Interest

Does subliminal advertising work.

If it were effective, subliminal advertising would have some major advantages for advertisers because it would allow them to promote their product without directly interrupting the consumer’s activity and without the consumer knowing that he or she is being persuaded (Trappey, 1996). People cannot counterargue with, or attempt to avoid being influenced by, messages that they do not know they have received and this may make subliminal advertising particularly effective. Due to fears that people may be influenced to buy products out of their awareness, subliminal advertising has been legally banned in many countries, including Australia, Great Britain, and the United States.

Some research has suggested that subliminal advertising may be effective. Karremans, Stroebe, and Claus (2006) had Dutch college students view a series of computer trials in which a string of letters such as BBBBBBBBB or BBBbBBBBB was presented on the screen and the students were asked to pay attention to whether or not the strings contained a small b . However, immediately before each of the letter strings, the researchers presented either the name of a drink that is popular in Holland (“Lipton Ice”) or a control string containing the same letters as Lipton Ice (“Npeic Tol”). The priming words were presented so quickly (for only about 1/50th of a second) that the participants could not see them.

Then the students were asked to indicate their intention to drink Lipton Ice by answering questions such as “If you would sit on a terrace now, how likely is it that you would order Lipton Ice?” and also to indicate how thirsty they were at this moment. The researchers found that the students who had been exposed to the Lipton Ice primes were significantly more likely to say that they would drink Lipton Ice than were those who had been exposed to the control words, but that this was only true for the participants who said that they were currently thirsty.

On the other hand, other research has not supported the effectiveness of subliminal advertising. Charles Trappey (1996) conducted a meta-analysis in which he combined 23 research studies that had tested the influence of subliminal advertising on consumer choice. The results showed that subliminal advertising had a negligible effect on consumer choice. Saegert (1987) concluded that “marketing should quit giving subliminal advertising the benefit of the doubt” (p. 107), arguing that the influences of subliminal stimuli are usually so weak that they are normally overshadowed by the person’s own decision making about the behavior.

Even if a subliminal or subtle advertisement is perceived, previous experience with the product or similar products—or even unrelated, more salient stimuli at the moment—may easily overshadow any effect the subliminal message would have had (Moore, 1988). That is, even if we do perceive the “hidden” message, our prior attitudes or our current situation will likely have a stronger influence on our choices, potentially nullifying any effect the subliminal message would have had.

Taken together, the evidence for the effectiveness of subliminal advertising is weak and its effects may be limited to only some people and only some conditions. You probably don’t have to worry too much about being subliminally persuaded in your everyday life even if subliminal ads are allowed in your country. Of course, although subliminal advertising is not that effective, there are plenty of other indirect advertising techniques that are. Many ads for automobiles and alcoholic beverages have sexual connotations, which indirectly (even if not subliminally) associate these positive features with their products. And there are the ever more frequent “product placement” techniques, where images of brands (cars, sodas, electronics, and so forth) are placed on websites and in popular TV shows and movies.

Key Takeaways

• Advertising is effective in changing attitudes, and principles of social psychology can help us understand when and how advertising works.
• Social psychologists study which communicators can deliver the most effective messages to which types of message recipients.
• Communicators are more effective when they help their recipients feel good about themselves. Attractive, similar, trustworthy, and expert communicators are examples of effective communicators.
• Attitude change that occurs over time, particularly when we no longer discount the impact of a low-credibility communicator, is known as the sleeper effect.
• The messages that we deliver may be processed either spontaneously or thoughtfully. When we are processing messages only spontaneously, our feelings are more likely to be important, but when we process the message thoughtfully, cognition prevails.
• Both thoughtful and spontaneous messages can be effective, in different situations and for different people.
• One approach to improving an individual’s ability to resist persuasion is to help the person create a strong attitude. Procedures such as forewarning and inoculation can help increase attitude strength and thus reduce subsequent persuasion.
• Taken together, the evidence for the effectiveness of subliminal advertising is weak, and its effects may be limited to only some people and only some conditions.

Exercises and Critical Thinking

• Reconsider the effectiveness of Apple’s marketing campaign for the latest iPhone in terms of the principles of persuasion that we have discussed.
• Find and discuss examples of web or TV ads that make use of the principles discussed in this section.
• Visit the Joe Chemo site , designed to highlight and counterargue the negative effects of the Joe Camel cigarette ads. Create a presentation that summarizes the influence of cigarette ads on children.
• Based on our discussion of resistance to persuasion, what techniques would you use to help a child resist the pressure to start smoking or start using recreational drugs?

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Witte, K., & Allen, M. (2000). A meta-analysis of fear appeals: Implications for effective public health campaigns.  Health Education & Behavior, 27 (5), 591–615.

Wood, W., & Eagly, A. (1981). Stages in the analysis of persuasive messages: The role of causal attributions and message comprehension.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40 (2), 246–259.

Wood, W., & Quinn, J. M. (2003). Forewarned and forearmed? Two meta-analysis syntheses of forewarnings of influence appeals.  Psychological Bulletin, 129 (1), 119–138.

Media Attributions

• “ Oprah Winfrey at 2011 TCA ” by Greg Hernandez is licensed under a CC BY 2.0 licence.
• “ Federer WM16 (37) (28136155830) ” by si.robi is licensed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 licence.
• “ Bono at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival ” by David Shankbone is licensed under a CC BY 3.0 licence.
• “ Cigarettes brazil ” by Brazilian Health Ministry (MS) – Instituto Nacional do Câncer (INCA) is licensed under a Public domain licence.
• “Figure 4.8 Personal involvement as a determinant of argument-based persuasion” is based on data from Petty, Cacioppo, and Goldman (1981). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41(5), 847–855.

Attitude change that occurs over time.

We focus on whatever is most obvious or enjoyable, without much attention to the message itself.

Occurs when we think about how the message relates to our own beliefs and goals and involves our careful consideration of whether the persuasion attempt is valid or invalid.

The message contained either strong arguments (persuasive data and statistics about the positive effects of the exams at other universities) or weak arguments (relying only on individual quotations and personal opinions).

The message was supposedly prepared either by an expert source (the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, which was chaired by a professor of education at Princeton University) or by a nonexpert source (a class at a local high school).

The students were told either that the new exam would begin before they graduated (high personal relevance) or that it would not begin until after they had already graduated (low personal relevance).

giving people a chance to develop a resistance to persuasion by reminding them that they might someday receive a persuasive message, and allowing them to practice how they will respond to influence attempts

Involves building up defenses against persuasion by mildly attacking the attitude position.

The strong emotional response that we experience when we feel that our freedom of choice is being taken away when we expect that we should have choice.

Principles of Social Psychology - 1st International H5P Edition Copyright © 2022 by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani and Dr. Hammond Tarry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Essay on Attitude: Top 6 Essays | Employees | Values | Management

In this essay we will discuss about ‘Attitude’. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Attitude’ especially written for school and college students.

Essay on Attitude

Essay Contents:

• Essay on the Importance of Attitude

Essay # 1. Definition of Attitude:

Attitude is defined as ones’ feelings or mood toward things, circumstances or people. Each individual is made up of various physical, vital, and mental parts. Everyone is having physical body and its organs, muscles, etc; the vital being with its sensations, emotions and feelings, and the mental part with its thoughts, memories, reasoning power, beliefs, etc. Somewhere between emotions and thought processing lie attitudes; one’s emotional perceptions about oneself, others, and life itself.

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Attitude is how one behaves towards somebody or something. It is one’s personal view, opinion or judgment. It also describes one’s general emotional approach toward a person or situation.

Attitudes are evaluative statement favourable or unfavourable related to person, object or event. They reflect that how one feel about something. For example if someone says that he likes his job, this statement expresses his attitude towards his job. Each and every person has different attitude at different conditions.

Attitude is the state of mind with which one approach a task, a challenge, a person, love, life in general.

Essay # 2. Components of Attitude:

There are three components of attitude:

(i) Cognitive component.

(ii) Effective component.

(iii) Behavioural component.

(i) Cognitive Component:

It refers to that part of attitude which is related in general know how of a person, for example, if a person says that smoking is injurious to health, such type of idea of a person is called cognitive component of attitude.

(ii) Effective Component:

This part of attitude is related to the statement, which affects another person. For example, if in an organization a personal report is given to the general manager. The report indicates that production staff is not performing their duties responsibilities. The general manager forwards a written notice to production manager to find out the cause of above said.

(iii) Behavioural Component:

The behavioural component refers to that part of attitude, which reflects the intension of a person in short run or in long run. For example, before the development of a new product, a report is prepared by the production department, which consists of their intention in near future and long run, and this report is handed over to top management for the decision.

Essay # 3. Types of Attitude:

Attitude is a way of thinking. People are often identified as having positive or negative, right or wrong, good or bad, optimistic or pessimistic, mindset. Attitudes generally express positively and negatively. For example, when a person is having good feelings towards his/her work or co-worker, his/her attitude is positive. When he/she feels reluctant to do certain things that are necessary, or show hostility towards certain individuals, then his/her attitude is negative.

(i) Positive Attitude:

A positive attitude means having an optimistic outlook. One responds constructively to stress and be able to deal with problems effectively. People having positive attitude see the glass as half full instead of seeing it as half empty.

A person’s attitude influences his/her social status, finances, health, the way he/she challenge obstacles and the kind of people they attract to their life. A positive attitude is important to people’s social status, health, work, the way they challenge obstacles and the kind of people they attract to their life.

A positive attitude will bring more positive opportunities into life. It attracts successful people who share the same goals. A positive attitude helps the body to heal faster from illness. A positive attitude helps in getting a job.

(ii) Negative Attitude:

Negative attitudes come from thinking negative thoughts over and over until they have become a part of person’s subconscious. One may not even realize that he/she is having a negative attitude because it’s been with him/her for so long.

A person having a bad attitude expects failure and disaster. An example of a negative attitude towards life is being pessimistic that things will never turn out well. These are destructive feeling and emotions that cannot help but worsen life’s conditions.

Essay # 4. Functions of Attitude:

Attitudes serve four important functions from the organization’s viewpoint behaviour.

These are as follows:

(i) Adjustment Function.

(ii) Ego-Defensive Function.

(iii) Value-Expressive Function.

(iv) Knowledge Function.

(i) Adjustment Function:

Attitudes often help people to adjust to their work environment. Well treated employees tend to develop a positive attitude towards their job; management and the organization in general while ill-treated organizational members develop a negative attitude. In other words, attitudes help employees adjust to their environment and form a basis for future behaviour.

(ii) Ego-Defensive Function:

Attitudes help people to retain their dignity and self- image. When a young faculty member who is full of fresh ideas and enthusiasm, joins the organization, the older members might feel somewhat threatened by him. But they tend to disapprove his creative ideas as ‘crazy’ and ‘impractical’ and dismiss him altogether.

(iii) Value-Expressive Function:

Attitudes provide individuals with a basis for expressing their values. For example, a manager who values hard and sincere work will be more vocal against an employee who is having a very casual approach towards work.

(iv) Knowledge Function:

Attitudes provide standards and frames of reference that allow people to understand and perceive the world around him. If one has a strong negative attitude towards the management, whatever the management does, it can be perceived as something ‘bad’ and as actually against them.

Essay # 5. Methods of Changing Attitude:

Employee’s attitudes can be changed and sometimes it is in the best interests of managements to try to do so.

Some of the possible ways of changing attitudes are:

(i) Providing New Information.

(ii) Use of Fear.

(iii) Resolving Discrepancies.

(iv) Influence of Friends and Peers.

(v) Co-Opting.

(i) Providing New Information:

Attitude can be changed by providing relevant and adequate information to the person concerned.

(ii) Use of Fear:

Attitudes can be changed through the use of fear. People might resort to change their work habit for the fear of unpleasant consequences.

(iii) Resolving Discrepancies:

Whenever people face a dilemma or conflict­ing situation they feel confused in choosing a particular course of action. For example when a person has to choose from between two alternative courses of action, it is often become difficult for him to decide which is right for him. If someone helps him in pointing out the positive points in favour of the chosen course of action, this helps in resolving his dilemma.

(iv) Influence of Friends and Peers:

A very effective way of changing one’s attitude is through his friends and colleagues. Their opinion and recommendation for something often proves to be more important.

(v) Co-Opting:

Co-opting is another method if there is need to change the attitude of some body that belongs to a different group. This can be done by including that person in the group.

Essay # 6. Importance of Attitude :

Attitude plays an important part in person’s life. It is important to remember attitude is everything. Attitude, whether positive or negative, shows in person’s daily lives. Many people say attitude is more important than experience or education. They often use attitude as the tie-breaker between two equally qualified candidates.

Person’s attitude determines the state of world he/she live in. It is the foundation for every success and every failure one has had and will have. Attitude is important because attitude truly is everything. It drives virtually every decision one makes and how one lives each day of life. Attitude will shape a person’s career. A great attitude will propel him forward, while a poor attitude will get him fired.

It has been found that people who have a good attitude remain healthier than their counterparts. This is because an optimistic attitude helps in preventing sadness, depression, anger, stress and anxiety and this in turn helps in preventing various medical problems.

Related Articles:

• Negative Attitude: Types and Consequences | Values | Management
• Essay on Attitude: Definition, Formation and Functions
• Essay on Ethics: Top 5 Essays | Employees | Management
• Values, Attitudes and Job Satisfaction | Term Paper | Employees | Management

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Olympic officials address gender eligibility as boxers prepare to fight

PARIS – The case of two Olympic boxers has drawn attention to a thorny issue: Who and what determines which female athletes can compete.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan both were disqualified from the 2023 women’s boxing world championships when they reportedly failed gender eligibility tests.

But this week, the International Olympic Committee confirmed the two boxers have been cleared to compete here at the Paris Games , as they both did at the Tokyo Games in 2021. The issues of so-called gender verification or sex testing have fueled discussion at the Olympics as the fighters prepare to enter the ring at North Paris Arena.

Khelif, a silver medalist at the 2022 world championships, is scheduled to fight Thursday against Angela Carini of Italy in the welterweight division at 146 pounds. Lin, a two-time world champion, is scheduled to fight Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan in the featherweight division at 126 pounds.

“Yeah, it’s really tricky," Australian boxer Tiana Echegaray told reporters Tuesday when asked about the situation. "I don’t know exactly what their circumstances are."

IOC spokesman Mark Adams indicated Tuesday no personal information about the boxers' medical histories would be disclosed. "They've been competing in boxing for a very long time," Adams told reporters. “They've achieved all the eligibility requirements in terms of sex and age. We're following the rules in place in Tokyo."

Who's in charge of boxing?

At the Summer Olympics, when it comes to gender eligibility, the IOC defers to the international federations that govern each of the 32 sports.

The IOC does provide a framework to the international federations . But it's “nonbinding."

In other words, it’s not up to the IOC. And the situation has grown especially complicated with boxing.

Last year the IOC banished the International Boxing Association (IBA), long plagued with scandal and controversy that jeopardized the future of Olympic boxing. In fact, the IOC denied IBA the right to run Olympic boxing during the Tokyo Games in 2021 and instead turned over control to an ad-hoc unit.

Opinion: Olympic female boxers are being attacked. Let's just slow down and look at the facts

With that ad-hoc unit in charge, Kehlif and Lin both competed at the Tokyo Olympics. Neither won a medal.

But the IBA has maintained control of the world championships and gender eligibility rules. And after Lin won gold and Kehlif won bronze at the event in March 2023, officials announced the boxers had failed medical eligibility tests and stripped them of the medals.

IBA president Umar Kremlev said DNA tests “proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded."

What's the eligibility criteria?

A passport could be key, based on comments from Adams, the IOC spokesman.

“I would just say that everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules," he said. “They are women in their passports and it is stated that is the case.”

Thursday Adams added that the issues with the previous tests for the boxers "was not a transgender issue, there's been some misreporting on that in press. ... These women have been competing as women for many years.

"What I would say just quickly on testosterone is, the testosterone (test) is not a perfect test. Many women can have testosterone, even what would be called 'male levels' and still be women and still compete as women. So this is not a panacea − this idea that suddenly you test, do one test for testosterone. Each sport needs to deal with this issue but I think we agreed, I hope we're agreed, we're not going to go back to the bad old days of 'sex testing'. That would be a bad idea."

In the past, other eligibility standards have hinged on science.

Caster Semenya, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in track and field in 2012 and 2016, was forced to give up competing in the 800 meters because her testosterone levels were too high based on tests administered by World Athletics, the sport’s international federation previously known as the IAAF.

Semenya was assigned female at birth. She said she was told at age 18 that she has XY chromosomes and naturally had high levels of testosterone.

Khelif and Lin have not publicly addressed details of their medical histories regarding the tests.

The issue of eligibility surfaced as a source of controversy in the United States in 2022 when swimmer Lia Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA championship.

At the time, the NCAA required transgender female athletes to have undergone one year of testosterone suppression treatment to be eligible to compete on a women's team in any sport. The NCAA has been under pressure to update its guidelines after the NAIA banned all transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a decision in June by World Aquatics, the international federation for swimming, that prevented Thomas from competing in elite competitions through World Aquatics or USA Swimming.

Who are these two boxers?

Lin, 28, has been fighting as an amateur for more than a decade, according to BoxRec, a widely regarded boxing site.

She made her official amateur debut about three months shy of her 18th birthday, winning at the 2013 AIBA World Women’s Championships. She won gold medals at the world championships in 2019 and 2022.

At 5-foot-9, she often has enjoyed a height advantage while amassing a record of 40-14 with one knockout. The record does not reflect the four fights she won at the 2023 world championships before her disqualification, which resulted in the outcome of the fights being changed to “no contest.’’

She lost her last fight – a split-decision defeat against Brazil’s Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu in April at the 2024 USA Boxing International Invitational in Pueblo, Colorado.

Khelif, 25, made her amateur debut at the 2018 Balkan Women's Tournament. She won a silver medal at the 2022 world championships.

At 5-foot-10, she also has enjoyed a height advantage while amassing a record of 36-9 with four knockouts, according to BoxRec. That does not include the three fights she won at the 2023 world championships before her disqualification resulted in the fights being changed to “no contest.’’

In one of those fights, Khelif stopped her opponent by TKO.

Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard

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Landslides in Southern India Kill More Than 100 People

Rescue workers struggled to reach isolated villages in the state of Kerala, where torrential rains have washed away terrain. The death toll was expected to rise.

By Sameer Yasir and Anupreeta Das

Reporting from New Delhi

At least 108 people were killed and dozens more injured in the southern Indian state of Kerala after days of heavy rainfall set off multiple landslides in a hilly region, in what government officials called one of its worst natural disasters.

The landslides in the district of Wayanad — a region whose natural, rugged beauty draws millions of tourists every year — uprooted trees, knocked down communication lines, submerged roads and washed away a bridge. Rescue operations were hindered by the region’s terrain, which made it harder to reach hundreds of residents in the areas that were hit the hardest.

“This is one of the worst natural calamities Kerala has ever witnessed,” said Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of Kerala, in a statement. Mr. Vijayan said the damage to homes and livelihoods was “immense,” adding that his government had set up relief camps for thousands of people affected.

The death toll rose throughout the day as rescue workers recovered more bodies from under debris, and the number was expected to rise as the search continued, according to government officials. More than 125 people were injured.

“We are fighting nature at its worst,” said Akhilesh Kumar, an official with India’s National Disaster Response Forces who was overseeing the rescue operation along with the Indian Army and firefighters.

In his statement, Mr. Vijayan said the government was sending tankers of drinking water and rations and setting up temporary hospitals. He said there were efforts underway to identify the dead even as search teams looked for other victims of the catastrophe.

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