Toler - The Power of Your Attitude

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verses marked NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Verses marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover by Knail, Salem, Oregon

Published in association with Meadows Edge Group.

THE POWER OF YOUR ATTITUDE

Copyright 2016 Stan Toler

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-6825-6 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6826-3 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Toler, Stan, author.

Title: The power of your attitude / Stan Toler.

Description: Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2016.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016004091 (print) | LCCN 2016022725 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736968256 (pbk.) | ISBN 9780736968263 ()

Subjects: LCSH: Attitude (Psychology)Religious aspectsChristianity.

Classification: LCC BV4509.5 .T65 2016 (print) | LCC BV4509.5 (ebook) | DDC 248.4dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016004091

All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of authors and publishers rights is strictly prohibited.

To my granddaughter,

Clara Jane Toler

Contents

M any people are trapped in negative thinking that produces fear, failure, and unhappiness. Though they may long for greater achievements, better relationships, and happier lives, theyre mired in a spiral of negative thinking, complaining, and self-fulfilling prophecies. Sadly, many give up even wishing for change and settle for a life thats boring and unfulfilling.

If that describes you, I have great news: It doesnt have to be that way! The secret to a happier and more successful life is not to change your circumstances (you often cant) or to control what others do (you never can). Its to change the one thing over which you have absolute authority your attitude .

Its been proven time and time again that people with a positive outlook are happier and more successful, and have greater career satisfaction and a better self-image. The reason for this is simple: Your attitude has incredible power to shape your life. Negative thinkers see negativity, think negative thoughts, and develop negative habits. Not surprisingly, they feel worse about themselves, enjoy less success, and experience less joy in life. Positive thinkers see possibilities, choose to pursue them, and more easily bounce back from failure. They have more energy and hope, and encounter more opportunities. Both types of thinkers live in the same world, but those who have a positive attitude leverage a power that enables them to move through life with greater joy and satisfaction.

Through the pages of this book, Ill share with you the lessons Ive learned about positive psychology and the power of a positive attitude to transform your life for the better. Many of these lessons came from the most positive thinker Ive ever known, my dad. Though he passed away when I was just 11 years old, he modeled for me the seven critical choices that have shaped my entire life. I want to share those insights with you. Through this book you will

recognize the incredible, often unnoticed power of attitude in every area of life.

be inspired to believe that change is possible, regardless of the circumstances.

be confident of your ability to implement change through simple, practical strategies.

leverage the power of positive mental choices.

gain courage for dealing with disappointment and failure.

become a happier, more successful person.

If youre thinking thats too good to be true, let me assure you its not. This isnt magic or wishful thinking. Ill share with you the proven principles that have been tested not only by my own experience but by a host of scientific research. These chapters will

provide real-life examples of the power of attitude.

create a sense of urgency in you for personal change.

demonstrate the positive effect of choosing joy, gratitude, kindness, hope, and other virtues.

teach practical strategies for implementing personal life.

Im eager to share these life lessons with you. I believe you have the power to make positive life choices, choose a positive outlook, and transform your life from stuck to spectacular . You can do this!

I was born in Welch, West Virginia, a small city in the heart of Appalachia. Welch is the seat of McDowell County, the most productive coal mining area in the state. When I was a child, McDowell County minessuch as Coalwood, Flat Top-Pocahontas, and Williamsproduced millions of tons of coal each year, setting production records for the entire nation. If youve seen the movie October Sky , which is set just down the road in Coalwood, youve had a glimpse of the place where I came from.

Our family lived in a tiny three-bedroom home nestled against Baileysville Mountain. Not surprisingly, my father, William Aaron Toler, was a coal miner. He went to work underground every day, and some of my earliest memories are of Dad coming home, his face streaked with sweat and his clothing caked with coal dust. During the winter months, he would leave the house long before sunrise and work until after dark. He would go for days, sometimes weeks at a time, without seeing daylight. Dad worked hard every day to provide a living for Mom, my two little brothers, Mark and Terry, and me.

Though McDowell County was rich in resources, it wasnt a prosperous placequite the opposite, in fact. Welch was the poorest city in America at that time. After John F. Kennedy visited the area while running for president in 1960, he noted, McDowell County mines more coal than it ever has in its history, probably more coal than any county in the United States, and yet there are more people getting surplus food packages in McDowell County than any county in the United States.Our tiny home had limited electricity and no running water. We carried water from the well every day, and our bathroom was a one-seat privy located out back. Our heat came from a single pot-bellied stove fed with coal from the same mine where Dad worked. For electronic entertainment, my brothers and I would watch the black-and-white TV in the furniture section of the Wyoming Company Store during our weekly visits to town.

Mining has always been a dangerous business, and it was especially so in those days. In the 1940s, more than 1100 miners lost their lives on the job every single year. My dad had his back broken three times in the mines before he was 30 years old, and he was beginning to suffer from the dreaded black lung disease. I can still remember him sitting in our small kitchen during the evening, coughing up black coal dust into a snow-white handkerchief while my brothers and I played around his feet.