HomeNewsCommentariesDisplay

Positive attitude makes a difference

By Lt. Col. Scott Fox, 12th Missile Squadron / Published October 31, 2006

PRINT | E-MAIL
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Sitting down to think about what I should write in this article, I found myself asking what I could possibly write that might make a difference in someone's daily life? Next, I asked myself what I thought actually does make a difference, and I found a great answer in a quote by long time college football coach. Coach Lou Holtz once said, "Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." 

In the Air Force, no matter what our specialty might be, we spend a lot of time training to increase our "ability" and ensure we are capable of doing our jobs. In the Air Force, there are also a lot of different "motivating" factors. Whether personal motivation or motivation inspired by the situation, our co-workers or our supervisors, we ultimately end up doing our individual jobs. The real key to success, the factor that determines how successful we are in those jobs, is absolutely attitude. 

Just think about those individuals who work around and with you. While we have all seen those in our organizations who seem to just barely get by, we have also seen those who really step up and lead. Think of that one person you know that you can always ask when something just has to get done right now and it has to get done right. What kind of attitude does that person have? I'm going to guess that person is one of the most positive people in your unit! They don't usually complain. They avoid cutting corners or taking short cuts. They are the one you send your new Airmen to in order to learn how things are "done right." 

I'm also going to guess that their co-workers don't mind working with them - they might even find themselves spending off-duty time together, too. Their positive attitude is contagious and by spreading that positive attitude, they improve their entire team. Attitude really makes a difference when it comes to getting the mission done. That's the power of a positive attitude. 

Are these successes associated with a positive attitude limited to the workplace? Not at all! Coach Holtz's framework for success ... ability, motivation and attitude ... is just as applicable off-duty as it is on-duty. No matter what you find yourself doing, a positive attitude is definitely going to be a factor you want to have on your side. 

Do you have a positive attitude? If you do, great, keep it up! People are probably noticing you and I'm sure you are driving your unit to success and making a difference. If you don't, why not try it and see where it leads? You can make a difference too!
USAF Comments Policy
If you wish to comment, use the text box below. AF reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

This is a moderated forum. That means all comments will be reviewed before posting. In addition, we expect that participants will treat each other, as well as our agency and our employees, with respect. We will not post comments that contain abusive or vulgar language, spam, hate speech, personal attacks, violate EEO policy, are offensive to other or similar content. We will not post comments that are spam, are clearly "off topic", promote services or products, infringe copyright protected material, or contain any links that don't contribute to the discussion. Comments that make unsupported accusations will also not be posted. The AF and the AF alone will make a determination as to which comments will be posted. Any references to commercial entities, products, services, or other non-governmental organizations or individuals that remain on the site are provided solely for the information of individuals using this page. These references are not intended to reflect the opinion of the AF, DoD, the United States, or its officers or employees concerning the significance, priority, or importance to be given the referenced entity, product, service, or organization. Such references are not an official or personal endorsement of any product, person, or service, and may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying AF endorsement or approval of any product, person, or service.

Any comments that report criminal activity including: suicidal behaviour or sexual assault will be reported to appropriate authorities including OSI. This forum is not:

  • This forum is not to be used to report criminal activity. If you have information for law enforcement, please contact OSI or your local police agency.
  • Do not submit unsolicited proposals, or other business ideas or inquiries to this forum. This site is not to be used for contracting or commercial business.
  • This forum may not be used for the submission of any claim, demand, informal or formal complaint, or any other form of legal and/or administrative notice or process, or for the exhaustion of any legal and/or administrative remedy.

AF does not guarantee or warrant that any information posted by individuals on this forum is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. AF may not be able to verify, does not warrant or guarantee, and assumes no liability for anything posted on this website by any other person. AF does not endorse, support or otherwise promote any private or commercial entity or the information, products or services contained on those websites that may be reached through links on our website.

Members of the media are asked to send questions to the public affairs through their normal channels and to refrain from submitting questions here as comments. Reporter questions will not be posted. We recognize that the Web is a 24/7 medium, and your comments are welcome at any time. However, given the need to manage federal resources, moderating and posting of comments will occur during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Comments submitted after hours or on weekends will be read and posted as early as possible; in most cases, this means the next business day.

For the benefit of robust discussion, we ask that comments remain "on-topic." This means that comments will be posted only as it relates to the topic that is being discussed within the blog post. The views expressed on the site by non-federal commentators do not necessarily reflect the official views of the AF or the Federal Government.

To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personally identifiable information, such as name, Social Security number, DoD ID number, OSI Case number, phone numbers or email addresses in the body of your comment. If you do voluntarily include personally identifiable information in your comment, such as your name, that comment may or may not be posted on the page. If your comment is posted, your name will not be redacted or removed. In no circumstances will comments be posted that contain Social Security numbers, DoD ID numbers, OSI case numbers, addresses, email address or phone numbers. The default for the posting of comments is "anonymous", but if you opt not to, any information, including your login name, may be displayed on our site.

Thank you for taking the time to read this comment policy. We encourage your participation in our discussion and look forward to an active exchange of ideas.