How to Develop A Winning Attitude In Youth
It all starts with the leader. The parent, teacher, pastor, coach or administrator. One of the biggest keys to success in any area is having an attitude of winning. Without a winning attitude you will not succeed in anything…no matter what it is: business, school, home, romance. Your attitude is an expression of the inner you, and people are attracted to a positive attitude and driven away by a negative one. A winning attitude is a choice and a matter of perspective. Developing a winning attitude in children requires the same principles as it does in adults.
An effective leader of children must develop a winning attitude in order to invoke positive self-realization in the children they’re serving. Many children will struggle with realizing who they can be, who they actually are, and who they are not. Most youth find a challenge grasping the concept that there’s a big difference between losing and actually BEING a loser. One describes an instance and the other describes what is consistent.
By keeping a winning attitude, you, the leader, can be for effective in helping a child through life’s challenges where the wrong attitude may make matters worse. An example of a winning attitude is what many children need to see to fight their personal struggles. Children do what they see you do.
1. Always see the glass half full and not half empty. Perception is the key. How we view a situation is normally how it will turn out. The mind is powerful. When dealing with children, view them as having potential…not as being bad. Children know when you have a negative perception about them because it shows in your interaction. It’s easy to detect fake people, believe it or not. Change your perspective about a child and their own perspective may change too. No child wants to have “Stinkin’ Thinkin’.”
You must SEE IT, SPEAK IT, SEE IT. These are the most basic steps of bringing your goals to fruition and creating an attitude that wins.
A. SEE IT: You must first visualize in your mind’s eye what it is you want to happen. Meditate on the vision until it becomes crystal clear to you. Do not proceed to the next step without a clear vision. It is written: “And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) The Amplified Bible says He was hovering, pondering. To ponder is to consider deeply. If God, ponders shouldn’t we? Ever heard the phrase: “Think before you speak”?
As a leader of youth, you must get time alone to get a clear vision for your role in their life and to “hear” where and how you should lead the children. This will strengthen your attitude and give you greater hope. Once you have the vision write it down. (Habakkuk 2:2-4)
B. SPEAK IT: Speak aloud the vision you wrote down with faith and conviction. There is power in speaking things aloud. Speaking what you want will bring your vision from the spiritual realm into the physical realm. You will have what you say. Good or Bad. When God made the Heavens and the Earth, He spoke: “And God said, Let there be light…” (Genesis 1:3). Don’t be afraid to SPEAK what you want. Do not ever say what you don’t want. Words are powerful seeds. Teach your children that there’s POWER in their words.
C. SOW IT: Put in the required effort and you will have (see) what you envisioned. Focus. “And God saw the light, that it was good…” (Genesis 1:4) Each day you work towards what you want is like laying a brick for a building. Over time, you’ll see the structure form. You’ll see the children grow. An attitude that wins comes from knowing that the work has been put in to reap the harvest. Be what you wish to see. Expectation sends the invitation for the amazing to show up and show out. It starts with you. Children with a winning attitude are confident they will have what they say.
2. Focus on the big picture. Having the right attitude takes seeing the end at the beginning. One bad day does not equal a bad life—it’s just a bad day; we all have them. Look at where you’re going not so much at what you’re going through.
3. Protect your positivity. Avoid negative-thinking people and refuse to allow negative attitudes, talking or defeatist behavior in your presence. Words are seeds of killer weeds formed from thoughts and meditations. When negative words and actions are emitted they’re looking for soil to take root and grow. Do not be the soil.
4. Practice showing a positive attitude in all situations. Like anything good or bad, it becomes concrete through habit. When things happen, take a few seconds to analyze the situation and CHOOSE to find the positive in it or at least find peace. This is not always easy and takes practice, patience and time.
