Having an open-minded, positive attitude is essential in today’s world. We recently returned from our International Travel Seminar to Germany and Egypt, and traveling anywhere – even across town, is an exercise in testing the boundaries of a good attitude. Dealing with communication barriers, scheduling conflicts, and transportation delays are common with any travel experience, especially when traveling internationally. As we all deal with the obstacles of life, it is an opportunity to learn about ourselves and how we instinctively react to inconveniences.

How do you deal with the common but annoying daily situations, often referred to as "character-building", such as battling road rage on our highways, "I know every car has a turn signal – please use it". Or perhaps for you it’s waiting in line for anything from grocery stores, "Price check!" or banks to entertainment or sporting events. Do you sigh aloud dramatically, check your watch repeatedly, and glare at those around you marveling at the fact that someone is making you wait? Or do you begin a conversation with someone, tell a funny joke in your mind or just have a quiet Zen-like moment? An anonymous author once quipped, "If you are dog tired at the end of the day, maybe it’s because you growled too much."

Life stresses are what you create from the events you are presented and constant negativity can be avoided. M.R. De Haan, M.D. described the power of negative words in his devotional for RBC Ministries by observing, "Much of the conflict in the world is caused by a combination of a narrow mind and a wide mouth." We must remember that words are powerful, but listening is even more powerful and seldom gets us into trouble.

With regularity, step back and evaluate your attitude: Is it superhero? In John C. Maxwell’s book, "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" he describes the Law of Magnetism as who you are is who you attract. As a leader, your attitude acts like a magnet attracting people with the same qualities you possess, not necessarily the qualities you want. As Michael Moscow, president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank asked the IALP Class of 2000 in December, "Would you work for you?"

Strive to invest in your leadership development whether that involves taking a continuing education course, coaching a summer youth softball team or creating a positive change in your workplace. Enjoy this spectacular season and all it has to offer! Take time to reinvigorate yourself to be a positive influence in all your endeavors because finding fault like there was a reward for it – isn’t rewarding at all.