Lose the 'Tude

By Bernadine McIntosh

"Did you see Serena? She sure is stuck up! She acts as if she is smarter than everyone in our class. She doesn't even talk to anyone." Sounds familiar? Sometimes it's so easy to see how others portray negative attitude and how their attitudes hurt us. It's easy to develop a victim mentality where we are the wronged party and everyone is deliberately trying to hurt our feelings. However when we start to see things this way it's time for an attitude check!

An attitude check simply means to look at yourself. Evaluate your attitude. Identify the attitude you've been putting out that evokes the response you've been getting from others. What you perceive to be their negative attitude may simply be their response to your attitudes. So before you judge give yourself an attitude check!

Our attitudes play a major part in how people respond to us. Others judge us by our attitudes. This also determines, to a certain extent, their interactions with us. For example ladies, if the guys perceive you to be a respectable young lady, they will probably be respectful in their actions towards you. However if by your attitude, you show them that you like their "dirty" jokes and giggle when they touch you inappropriately, they will not be respectful in the way they treat you.

Develop a "Look, but don't touch attitude." Even if you have guy friends, you are not just one of the guys so don't act as if you were.

Ladies, it's important that we conduct ourselves like ladies. As the old proverb goes, "your attitude determines your altitude."
If you want to soar with the eagles, young ladies, give yourself an attitude check. Lose the 'tude that stops you from being what God intends you to be.

Dec 2000/Feb 2001