1. Building a Positive Attitude

2. Overview
What are ways that positive and negative attitudes affect actions?
What are defense mechanisms?
Why are integrity and credibility important elements of a positive attitude?
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

3. Overview
Why are humility and patience important elements of a positive attitude?
Why are respect and appreciation important elements of a positive attitude?
How to focus on task completion
How to focus on people
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

4. Quick Write
List the two most important problems you’ve faced in the past two years. For each problem, note whether it was a result of your own decision making and behavior or of something that was beyond your control.
How did you handle each kind of problem? Did you tackle the issue head-on or try to avoid it? What problem-solving strategy has worked best for you?
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

5. Attitudes Affect Actions
An attitude is a thought, feeling, or belief
Attitudes are internal
A behavior is an action that others can see you doing
Behaviors are external
The attitudes and behaviors of a healthy, reasonable person are usually in harmony
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

6. Why Do You Need a Positive Attitude?
It will make you a more successful family member, student, employee, and citizen
People are attracted to positive thinkers
Positive thinkers make things happen
Chapter 3, Lesson 2
Photo courtesy of Comstock Images

7. Defense Mechanisms Why do some people handle their mistakes
well while others don’t?
The difference often lies in a person’s defense
mechanisms—behaviors people use to deal with
anxiety, stress, or pressure
Chapter 3, Lesson 2
Photo courtesy of Comstock Images

8. Defense Mechanisms
Everyone has anxieties, and defense mechanisms provide a way to deal with them
But if you’re not careful, defense mechanisms can turn into excuses
Constantly using defense mechanisms is a sign of an immature personality
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

9. How Defense Mechanisms Affect Relationships*
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

10. How Defense Mechanisms Affect Relationships*
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

11. Integrity and Credibility
Integrity is a commitment to a code of values or beliefs that results in a positive attitude and approach to life
People with integrity are trustworthy
Credibility is a quality of character that inspires confidence and trust
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

12. Role Models
People aren’t born with integrity and credibility—they learn them from role models
A positive role model is a person on whom others base their own attitudes and actions
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

13. Role Models Role models can be:
parents, guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles
big brothers or sisters
neighbors, teachers, coaches, counselors, club advisers
community leaders, religious leaders
Chapter 3, Lesson 2
Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

14. Mentors
When a role model takes an active interest in you, he or she becomes your mentor
A mentor is a life coach who guides, advises, and advocates for you
A mentor provides positive feedback that helps you grow
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

15. Humility Humility is the opposite of pride and arrogance
A humble person is willing to learn from others
People with humility don’t think they have all the answers
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

16. Fear, Pride, Indifference
Several mental states can block your ability to learn—these include fear, pride, and indifference:
Fear is an emotion that people may feel when they face something new or unknown
Pride is an exaggerated feeling of self-worth
Indifference is the state of mind of a person who has no desire to get better at anything
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

17. Patience
Patience is the ability to bear difficulty, delay, frustration, or pain without complaint
Patience is a learning tool—if you don’t understand something, you have to give it time to sink in
Humility and patience are the keys to defeating fear, pride, and indifference
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

18. Respect
Respect is the esteem, regard, and consideration that you pay others and that you earn from them
Every human being has a deep-seated need for respect
How do you get respect? The answer is simple: You earn it by respecting others
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

19. How to Show Respect for Others
Don’t spread gossip, rumors, or loose talk about anyone
Be on time
Don’t interrupt people
Listen
Always give people the benefit of the doubt
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

20. How to Show Respect for Others
Practice the “abundance theory”—there’s enough of everything to go around—credit, glory, admiration, friendship, smiles, laughter, compliments
Don’t take yourself too seriously
Be flexible
Stick with what’s important: people, their feelings, and their needs
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

21. Appreciation Appreciation is the admiration, approval,
or gratitude that you express to others and receive from them
If you respect people, they
will be grateful and will
show you their appreciation
Chapter 3, Lesson 2
Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

22. Task Completion
Task completion is the process of doing things expected of you in a timely, orderly, accurate, and honest manner
Gain control of your greatest asset: time
A black hole is a period of time that eats into your productivity
One main cause of black holes is procrastination
A second cause of black holes is distraction
Chapter 3, Lesson 2
Graphic courtesy of Clipart.com

23. Focusing on People
If you’re able to stop wasting time, you’ll have time to devote to people
What does a positive attitude have to do with focusing on people?
Having a positive attitude means trying to be on good terms with everyone
You must be able to work with other people in teams and focus on helping them
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

24. Review
The attitudes and behaviors of a healthy, reasonable person are usually in harmony
People are attracted to positive thinkers
Defense mechanisms are behaviors that people use to deal with anxiety, stress, or pressure
If you’re not careful, defense mechanisms can turn into excuses
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

25. Review
Integrity is a commitment to a code of values or beliefs that results in a unified, positive attitude and approach to life
Credibility is a quality of character that inspires confidence and trust in others
A positive role model is person on whom others base their own attitudes and actions
A mentor is a life coach who guides, advises, and advocates for you
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

26. Review
Humility and patience are the keys to defeating fear, pride, and indifference
Respect is the esteem, regard, and consideration that you pay others and that you earn from them
Task completion is the process of doing things expected of you in a timely, orderly, accurate, and honest manner
If you’re able to stop wasting time, you’ll have time to devote to people
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

27. Summary
What are ways that positive and negative attitudes affect actions?
What are defense mechanisms?
Why are integrity and credibility important elements of a positive attitude?
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

28. Summary
Why are humility and patience important elements of a positive attitude?
Why are respect and appreciation important elements of a positive attitude?
How to focus on task completion
How to focus on people
Chapter 3, Lesson 2

29. Next Done—building a positive attitude
Next—overcoming challenging experiences
Chapter 3, Lesson 2
Photo courtesy of Comstock Images