"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome." - William James This is so true. It is the way we think and react to a situation, that determines how much happiness and success we will find in our lives, both personally as well as professionally. For instance, for someone with a negative attitude, who has seen his business going bankrupt in the current economic slump, would mean end of the world. On the other hand, for people with positive thinking, the same scenario would be an opportunity to start something new, something different, in accordance to their choice! Definition and Causes We all hear this talk about being positive all the time and avoiding negativity. But, have you ever thought, what does a negative attitude mean? Well, there are some words and feelings which can be used to describe it appropriately. So, if you feel any of these emotions, day in and day out, it shows that you do harbor a negative attitude:

• Anger
• Jealousy
• Greed
• Frustration
• Hatred
• Bitterness
• Shame
• Pain
• Inferiority Complex
• Suspicion
• Tendency to Procrastinate
• Laziness

There are a number of causes behind a person experiencing this in the workplace or his personal life. The foremost amongst these is that a person is dissatisfied with the way his life is going or has shaped up. If a person is in an unfulfilling relationship, or if he finds himself pursuing a profession he is least interested in, he is bound to feel frustrated and develop negative feelings. Staying in the company of friends, colleagues or family members, who themselves think very negatively, can have an adverse effect on a person's thinking. It is a known fact that the environment around a person is bound to affect him in some way or the other. Lastly, if a person has not much exposure of life, if his view of the world is limited to his beliefs, such a narrow thinking can foster negativity in his mind and impede his personality development. Tips to Change a Negative Attitude You must have seen that people who have confidence and display a cheery, positive attitude, are much more likely to win friends and become successful in their career. That's why, if you display any of the negativity signs, it's time you change the way you think! The first thing to do, is to try to look for positivity and goodness in every situation. For instance, if your car has suffered a break-down and you need to rely on public transport to travel to work, instead of feeling agitated, think that you are helping the environment by using lesser petrol and causing less pollution! Have you ever heard of the adage that "negativity breeds negativity". Well, it does hold true. So, another thing that you can do to change your situation is to think about the long term consequences of such an attitude. You will lose out on that big promotion at work if you do not display positive attitude in the workplace. Your relationship with your spouse can take a beating if you display uncontrolled jealousy. People might start avoiding you if you come across as a bitter, frustrated man. Now, do you want such things to happen to you? No? Then give up your negative attitude. And finally, if the negative attitude in you has reached unimaginable proportions, do not feel shy of going in for therapy. Sometimes, displaying negative emotions could be related to some deep lying incidents and experiences we had in our childhood. So, you need to get to the bottom of these causes first, before determining a solution for this. In the end, it would pay to know that such an attitude is not easy to combat. You can not suddenly wake up one day and decide that from now on you will not get angry or feel jealous and will always display happiness. It does not happen that way. It would require a conscious effort, determination and patience on your part, to remove yourself from your negative thoughts. And once you are able to do so, the success will be all yours. As a quote by Winston Churchill goes. "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."