The Luckiest Attitude

 

You may have met people in your life who seem to have "all the luck". They may work at a company they respect, have a well-paying job that they enjoy, and live in their dream home with a spouse whom they are madly in love with.

While it certainly does seem like there are times when things appear to fall in place, and other times when things seem to just fall apart, keep in mind that our own attitudes and beliefs can have an affect on how those around us treat us. 

Take a case management position for example. Monique is fresh out of school, not an ounce of experience under her belt besides a stint of work study in the student counseling center at her university. Katie has worked with a private substance abuse treatment facility for the past 4 years, but she was laid off when her old agency was downsizing due to economic constraints and has now been unemployed for nearly six months. 

If Monique is positive and hopeful, she stands to be a real contender in a match for the position. Because of her bright outlook, she's likely to give off more signals and show more concrete body language during her interview that will actually increase the chances that she gets the job. Positive people tend to do things like use a brighter tone of voice, make more appropriate eye contact, have a more open and welcoming demeanor, appear to be more confident, hold their heads higher, have a more firm handshake, and smile more. All of these characteristics make someone more likely to get hired, or at least considered, for a position, regardless of their level of experience. It's kind of like seeing a sculpture in a plain block of marble because you know you have the basic materials you need to mold it into whatever you want--or whatever tool you need. The same can go for people. Everyone has the ability to be trained to fulfill a certain position, but if the person doing the hiring doesn't see the potential and positive attitude, they'll probably be less likely to invest the time and energy into doing so. 

If Katie, due to her lengthy unemployment status, comes to the interview, she may have the mentality of someone who has already been rejected. She is not likely to have a confident, friendly demeanor. She's more apt to speak in a lower tone of voice (which can sometimes convey uncertainty or passivity), have a limp handshake, not make eye contact very often / at all, and give short answers as though she wants the interview to be over with as quickly as possible. The hiring manager may wonder if she's hiding something, whether or not she really wants the job, or even if she's lied on her resume to get as far as she has. They may wonder if they can trust her to take lead on any projects because she's coming off as so passive and cold. 

Katie's attitude can influence the perpetuation of her circumstances. Because she seems so unsure, melancholy, and passive, she doesn't get hired. She feels more sad and dejected because she didn't get hired. She carries these feelings with her into the next interview, and the cycle goes on and on. 

Going into each situation you encounter in life with confidence and hope can lead to great benefits and many more positive interactions with others, even if doing so doesn't result in more concrete results like a job, romantic relationship, application acceptance, etc. Taking a deep breath and telling yourself that you have all the tools to be successful at whatever you're going to attempt can make the difference between feeling as though you have the best luck in the world, versus the worst luck. 

 

What kind of things do you do to keep yourself upbeat and positive?