Keeping positive, can-do attitude

  • Published
  • By Chaplain (Col.) Robert Cannon
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Chaplain
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  One of the frequent conversations I have with people is helping them process their professional frustrations.

Everywhere I go, the effects of sequestration, furloughs, downsizing, shrinking resources, reduced funding and longer days are taking a toll on the positive attitudes of folks.

In 27 years, I have never heard more people questioning whether it's time to change careers or finally throw in the towel. It's understandable. After all, as military members, we are wired, one could say genetically built and trained to get the job done, whatever it takes. Just tell us what to do and name the target and, as American Airmen, we'll execute the mission with excellence.

It was a few weeks ago that I realized that by dealing with so much negativity and my own frustrations that I was slipping into what I call the spiral of negativity, definitely not a good thing for chaplain.

Let me be clear by what I mean by negativity. I'm not talking about the intense effort and discussions needed to solve problems or having to react to those unexpected mission tweaks or taskers that pop up every day. The spiral of negativity is an easy trap when frustrated, angry, disappointed or simply befuddled by events beyond one's control.

By its nature, negativity is insidious. When a negative attitude overtakes a person's positive attitude, it is poisonous to personal growth and happiness. Collectively, it can slowly seep into a flight, squadron, agency, office or workplace and bring down a can-do spirit.

What's the antidote? One morning, when I was drinking my morning java, I realized that I was getting caught up in a spiral of negativity, I did an about-face. Internally, I said, "No more. No more feasting on a steady diet of negativity for me."

I made a personal decision that I was not going to let negativity of any kind dominate who I am, saturate what I do, how I think, feel, lead, and serve. Attitude is one part of my life that I can control almost 100 percent. Keeping a positive attitude is critical to what I bring to the fight each day.

I'm not talking about being naive or refusing to look at blunt realities. Attitude is often the difference between mission success and failure. A positive person leans forward, not backward. The ability to keep a positive attitude is hard work, whether in a time of war or in a time of political wrangling. It takes grit, heart, soul, patience, balance, conviction and a large reservoir of courage. You can't fake a positive attitude for long. It's got to come from the inside.

There's an old proverb about two frogs that accidentally hopped into a bucket of fresh cream inside a farmer's barn one sunny morning. The fresh cream made the sides of the bucket so slippery that the frogs couldn't climb out, no matter how hard they tried. One of the frogs finally gave up after struggling for a short time and drowned in the cream. The other frog would have no part of drowning. He refused to give up. He kicked and kicked with all his strength to stay afloat. By the end of the day, he was able to hop out of the bucket. All of his kicking and thrashing had turned the cream into butter. I don't know about you, but I like the feistiness and gumption of the second frog.

How does one maintain a positive attitude? Thankfulness is an essential key. I like the words of rapper T.I. in his song "Live your life," "What you need to do is be thankful for the life you've got. Stop looking for what you ain't got. Start being thankful for what you do got."

These are simple words, but true. There are so many reasons to be thankful. For instance, just think about the privilege and an honor it is to wear the uniform our country as American Airman.

We are part of the world's greatest Air Force and rub shoulders with some of the finest men and women of our nation. Decide each day to take a moment or two to be thankful for what you've got and let the power in thankfulness gift help you bring a contagious positive attitude to the fight.