I once heard this story about a traveler who was moving his family to a different town and passed a farmer coming from the opposite direction he was going.
“What kind of people live in that town?” asked the traveler.
The farmer answered with a question, “What kind of people lived in the town you came from?”
The traveler responded that they were obnoxious, self-centered and selfish and that was the main reason he was leaving.
The farmer said, “The people in this town act the same way.”
A few miles later down the road another traveler bumps into the same farmer, and asked a similar question about the people in the town. The farmer responded the same way by asking about the travelers experience in the previous town.
The traveler said, “Oh, they were very polite, friendly and accommodating.”
The farmer said, “So are the people from this town.”
Like the traveler, it’s our attitude towards life that determines life’s attitude towards us. A person’s attitudes and expectations tell the world what they want out of life, and people often get what they want or are expecting. Your attitude shapes your beliefs, your beliefs govern your actions, and your actions determine your results. When you offer a sincere smile to a stranger, it’s almost impossible for him or her not to smile back at you. When you’re in the mood to start an argument, it’s relatively easy. Say a few negative things and you’ll probably get a negative response from the other person.
People usually reflect back to themselves their own reality. This is why it’s important as the leader of your company to always maintain a positive attitude. It’s your attitude towards life, your team, and your customers that will determine their attitude towards you. Remember, your attitude is like a reflection – a reflection in the mirror.
