(Joyce) APPARENTLY JOHN, IN YOUR BOOK YOU TALK ABOUT SEVEN ATTITUDES OR SEVEN AXIOMS OF ATTITUDES. TELL US WHAT A FEW OF THOSE ARE.
(John) THE FIRST ONE AND THE MAIN ONE IS THAT YOUR ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE AND IT ALWAYS STARTS THERE BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER SEEN A PERSON CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDE UNLESS THEY TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. SO, YOUR ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE, YOUR ATTITUDE IS A RESPONSIBILITY. ONE OF THE AXIOMS IS THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE, LIFE TURNS OUT BETTER FOR THEM THAN PEOPLE WITH A BAD ATTITUDE. I’M TALKING ABOUT THE SAME LIFE. IT COULD BE THE SAME FAMILY.
(Joyce) SAME CIRCUMSTANCES.
(John) SAME SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, THE SAME JOB, THE SAME PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE, YET ONE PERSON SEEMS TO DO MUCH BETTER THAN THE OTHER PERSON, AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OUTWARD SITUATIONS; IT HAS TO DO WITH THE INWARD HEART. “AS A MAN THINKETH IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE.” ONE OF THE THINGS I TEACH IN THERE IS THE FACT THAT YOUR ATTITUDE ATTRACTS. LIKE BEGETS LIKE AND PEOPLE WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE ATTRACT OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE THEM AND PEOPLE WITH A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE ATTRACT PEOPLE LIKE THE OLD “BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER.” THAT’S AN AXIOM I’VE ALWAYS FOLLOWED IN THE FACT THAT I’M GOING TO HAVE AROUND ME NOT WHO I WANT; I’M GONNA HAVE AROUND ME WHO I AM. THERE’S A LOT OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY… A BOSS WILL SAY “I’D LIKE TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE DILIGENT, FAITHFUL, LOYAL, HELPFUL, AND HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE” AND I JUST LOOK AT THEM AND ASK “ARE YOU DILIGENT, FAITHFUL AND LOYAL? DO YOU HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE?” BECAUSE WE ATTRACT WHO WE ARE, NOT WHO WE WANT. SO THE ATTITUDE IS A GREAT ATTRACTOR OR A GREAT DETRACTOR.
(Joyce) THIS IS KIND OF A SOBERING THOUGHT BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS IF YOU’RE NEGATIVE, YOU MURMUR, YOU COMPLAIN, ALL YOUR CONVERSATION IS WHAT’S NOT GOING RIGHT IN YOUR LIFE, NOBODY REALLY LIKES TO BE AROUND YOU. THERE MAY BE PEOPLE WHO PUT UP WITH YOU BUT THEY’RE GROWING MORE AND MORE TIRED OF IT EVERY SINGLE DAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY PROVOKED ME TO START SEEKING CHANGE THIRTY YEARS AGO WAS GOD ACTUALLY SPENT A COUPLE OF DAYS REVEALING TO ME WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH ME, AND I CRIED FOR THREE DAYS. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, JOHN? IF I WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED THAT TRUTH FROM GOD, I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM TODAY.
