Ways to Cultivate a Better Attitude About Your Life

 

Giving of your time, expertise, and resources without expecting anything in return is an unselfish act that makes the world a better place. When more givers. When you focus more on the wants and needs of others, more of your own wants and needs are met. In contrast, when you choose to hoard what you have, rather than give, you become the centre of your own lonely, you repel both people and potential blessing.

You can become a more generous and giving person, even if you already exhibit those qualities. However, to do that, you must be a growing and developing person. And you must be intentional in your efforts to add value to others. Here are some suggestion to help you cultivate an attitude of contribution.

BE GRATEFUL: people who aren’t grateful are not givers. They rarely think about others; they think only of themselves. Their days consist of looking for others to help them, give to them, serve them. And whatever others don’t fulfill those expectations, they wonder why. Their selfishness keeps them from sowing and their ingratitude makes them wonder why they don’t reap a harvest! How can you show gratitude? By daily pouring into others and passing on to them the things that will allow them to run far and achieve beyond what you have done.

PUT PEOPLE FIRST. All the things of this world are temporary. People are what matter. Your career, hobbies, and other interests will die with you. People continue on. What you give to help others builds them up enough that they are able to give to others. It’s a cycle that can continue on long after you’re dead and gone. Treating others well not only benefits people, it also helps us navigate life better and puts us in a place where we can learn from others.

The measure of success is not the number of people who serve you, but the number of people you serve. When people are number one in your life, adding value to them becomes natural. You do it as a matter of lifestyle. You add value to people because you value people and you believe that they have value 

DON’T LET STUFF OWN YOU: no one should ever become a slave to his stuff. No one should make acquiring more just for the sake of having more his life’s work. If you want to be in charge of your heart, don’t allow possessions to take charge of you. The question is, “Do you own your stuff or does your stuff own you?” Contributors take the stuff they own and use it as an asset to make this world a better place to live. And they do this regardless of how much or how little they have. 

Define Success as Sowing, Not Reaping: Novelist Robert Louis Stevenson said, “I Consider the success of my day based on the seeds I sow, not the harvest I reap.” That should be the way we judge not only our days, but our entire lives. Unfortunately most people sow little and expect to reap a lot. Their focus is on payday. 

If you are sowing only for quick returns in life, then you will usually be unhappy with the outcome and unable to keep giving and living while waiting. On the other hand, if you sow continually and abundantly, you can be sure that in due season there will be a harvest. Successful people know this and focus on sowing, knowing that reaping will eventually come. The process is automatic. If you live life with the intention of making a difference in others’ lives, your life will be full, not empty.

FOCUS ON SELF-DEVELOPMENT, NOT SELF-FULFILLMENT: what’s the main difference between self-development and self- fulfillment? The motive. Self-fulfillment means doing what I am talented and uniquely fit to do, and that becomes my responsibility. Chasing self-fulfillment is a bit like chasing happiness. It’s an emotion that cannot be sustained. It relies too much on circumstances. It depends on a person’s mood. In contrast, you can develop yourself regardless of how you feel, what circumstances you find yourself in, your financial situation, or the people around you. 

KEEP GROWING TO KEEP GIVING: Whenever people stop actively learning and growing, the clock has started ticking down to a time when they will no longer have anything left to give. If you want to keep giving, you have to keep growing. 

Sometimes people stop learning because they become complacent. They believe they have grown enough, or they want only to make the most of what they already have in terms of skill and knowledge. That’s when they start to plateau and then decline. They lose their innovative spirit. They begin to think about being efficient instead of breaking ground. They cut cost instead of investing in growth. Their vision becomes very limited. And instead of playing to win, they start playing not to lose

We all love doing what we’re good at, but being good at something requires us to keep our skills sharp. Less skill leads to less enthusiasm and eventually discontent. If we reach this stage, we start looking behind us, because that is where our best days are. We think about the good old days, the glory days. At that point, we’re only a few short steps from obsolescence. Nobody wants to learn from a has-been. If you want to give until you’ve given all you have, you must keep growing until you can grow no more.