Gregory P. Smith

The Little Engine that Could is a book with a big lesson about attitudes. I must have read that book a thousand times over the years as my children were growing up. The only difference between that engine and the others was that he believed he could.

The story about the engine and a special passage of scripture carried me through most of my life. Phil: 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I remember many tough times in the military as well as difficult situations in my family when I called upon the strength of the little engine and my "strength though Christ." If we readjust our thinking we can improve our attitudes. What separates an average from a victorious life is the word "Believe."

B-Believe you can make a difference. I joined the Army directly out of college. I was on the fast track and my career was moving in a positive direction. However, I felt I was called for something else.

One day I came home from work and told my wife I was getting out of the military and going to the seminary. I thought I was called to be a preacher. "Leave a good-paying career for the ministry?" she said.

For the next several months I did a lot of soul searching and praying. No, I wasn’t called for the ministry, but called for something else just as important. My calling was to stay in the business world showing business people how to create work environments that provide meaning and purpose to those who work there.

You don’t have to be in the ministry to make a difference. Whether you drive a bus, raise children, teach Sunday School or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, if this is what the Lord wants you to do—then be thankful. Each of us has a purpose and knowing that can make a powerful and meaningful difference.

E-Eliminate negative attitudes. I spent several years living in Puerto Rico and learned how to scuba dive. My instructor was a retired Navy sailor who had a positive attitude about life. When he was in his 50’s he decided to do something never done before--swim from St. Thomas to Puerto Rico non-stop. Halfway through the swim, a shark decided to make lunch out of his arm. The only thing that saved his arm was an underwater wristwatch, which prevented a bad situation becoming terrible. Fortunately for Harry Hauck, he kept his arm and his positive attitude in tact.

Other people would have decided not to return to the ocean, but not Harry. After healing from his injuries and armed with a shark cage, Harry returned to his goal finishing the swim.

L-Live in the now. The words "live in the now" may sound shallow, but the Lord gave each of us a mind and a pair of hands for a purpose. These marvelous gifts were given to us to use to help others, to create, teach and build. He doesn’t expect us to merely wait for him to return one day.

We are fortunate to live in a time in history where there are so many opportunities to make a difference and most of these opportunities are outside the doors of our church. The Lord has given each of us a life to live. I don’t know about you, but when the Lord calls me home I want to say I lived the life he gave me fully. What are you doing to make a difference?

I-Improve and encourage others. My mind holds many good memories. I remember Pat Prescott who was one of my first Sunday School teachers. She touched me in a tremendous way and helped me focus on what my life could become. She was authentic and touched all the people in her class with her encouragement.

Also in my mind are memories of others—Christians I have run across in the business world who had a different philosophy in life. For some reason they put a wall up around themselves. For some of them, their Bibles were strategically placed on their desks not as a witness, but as a barrier to keep people away. Their life consisted of a list of don’ts. Instead of encouragement and acceptance they seemed to carry a sign that said, "avoid me at all costs." Hebrews 10:25 says we are to "encourage" one another. Maybe we should think differently about our witness. Possibly we need to build a relationship first then take the Bible out showing how it has made a wonderful difference in our lives.

E-Execute an action plan. Sometimes the old nature fights change and refuses to give up bad attitudes. Negative attitudes develop over the years and become bad habits. The environment, family and friends influence these attitudes. Zig Ziglar calls this, "stinkin thinkin."

An important fact to realize is these attitudes don’t have to be permanent. They are like clothing that can be taken off and thrown away. By developing an action plan we can change our negative thought patterns. Our action plan is found within the pages of the Bible. When we substitute negative thoughts with positive thoughts our attitudes will improve. When I tried to change my attitude I read every positive thinking book I could get my hands on. They helped, but my negative attitude persisted until I began memorizing scripture. That’s when true and lasting change occurred.

V-Visualize your destination. One of my favorite books is called, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Viktor Frankl was both a physician and a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camp located at Auschwitz.

The horrific events and indescribable hardships surrounding his existence are impossible for most of us to imagine. Other prisoners like himself gave up all hope and died. Then there were those who choose a different attitude, faced the same hardships and survived. What was the difference?

In scientific objectivity, Frankl analyzed and pinpointed the secret of survival. Words from his book said . . ."the sort of person the prisoner became was the result of an inner decision, and not the result of camp influences alone. Fundamentally, therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him—mentally and spiritually."

This was the place Frankl placed himself in. Instead of giving up he decided to force his mind to visualize being in a warm classroom lecturing to students about survival in a concentration camp. He substituted a painful reality of hopelessness with a more powerful vision of the future. Even in this horrible place he was able to choose his attitude and find his purpose in life.

E-Enter into acceptance. Every race has a beginning and an end. Every project has a completion date. We begin life as an infant and will end this life much older. No matter where you are along this journey focus on the end and the Father’s arms who waits loving acceptance.

Gregory P. Smith lives in Conyers, Georgia with his wife and three children. He is the founder and President of a management development firm called Chart Your Course International. He shows people how to build productive work environments that attract, keep and motivate their workforce. He speaks at conferences, conducts seminars and the author of three books. The titles of his books include, The New Leader, How to Attract, Keep and Motivate Your Workforce and Dynamic Ideas to Reward, Energize and Motivate Your Teams. He is presently working on a new book called, Here Today Here To Stay. Phone him at (770)860-9464 or send an email at greg@chartcourse.com. More information and articles are available at http://www.ChartCourse.com.

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