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    How High Will You Climb?: Determine Your Success by Cultivating the Right Attitude
    How High Will You Climb?: Determine Your Success by Cultivating the Right Attitude
    How High Will You Climb?: Determine Your Success by Cultivating the Right Attitude
    Ebook168 pages4 hours

    How High Will You Climb?: Determine Your Success by Cultivating the Right Attitude

    By John Maxwell

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    About this ebook

    A positive attitude comes easy in times of joy and progress. But the real test of character comes during times of turmoil and conflict--which are always just on the horizon. When the skies above appear stormy, how will you steer that internal plane we call attitude?In How High Will You Climb? bestselling author and pastor John C. Maxwell emphasizes that even in the worst of storms, we are never flying solo. With God supporting our approach in every challenge that comes our way, we have the power to choose--yes, choose--the attitude we take with us on our journey. Oftentimes our outward expression and attitude during conflict is every bit as critical as the inward struggle, and our approach to the struggles in our family, in work, in life in general will actually determine the outcome more than the actual struggle. The choice is yours--when your path brings you through your next storm, how high will you climb?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateApr 8, 2014
    ISBN9781400205929
    How High Will You Climb?: Determine Your Success by Cultivating the Right Attitude
    Author

    John Maxwell

    John C. Maxwell is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, coach, and speaker who has sold more than 33 million books in fifty languages. He has been identified as the #1 leader in business and the most influential leadership expert in the world. His organizations - the John Maxwell Company, The John Maxwell Team, EQUIP, and the John Maxwell Leadership Foundation - have translated his teachings into seventy languages and used them to  train millions of leaders from every country of the world. A recipient of the Horatio Alger Award, as well as the Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace and Leadership from the Luminary Leadership Network, Dr. Maxwell influences Fortune 500 CEOs, the presidents of nations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. For more information about him visit JohnMaxwell.com.

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    • 4/5
      If you need an attitude makeover, How High Will You Climb? is your go-to guide. Using the metaphor of attitude in the world of flight, author John C. Maxwell helps us analyze our life's attitude ("... an inward feeling expressed by behaviour" - Kindle Location 81) from every possible angle: what an attitude is, how it's formed, what things cause it to nose-dive, and how to change it.

      The book has many practical examples. But it is more than a self-help guide, for its points are solidly buttressed by scripture. The body of the book contains lots of interactive features like self-tests and practical application suggestions. In addition, the back of the book has a Study Guide with a set of questions, discussion starters, and journal prompts for each chapter.

      I found the book challenging and helpful. I especially appreciated the chapter on how to recognize and overcome discouragement. It is certainly a book I will keep close at hand, for as Maxwell points out, attitude is something we grapple with as long as we live:

      "Our attitudes are formed by our experiences and how we choose to react to them. Therefore as long as we live, we are forming, changing or reinforcing attitudes. ... our attitude doesn't remain stagnant" - KL 546 & 571.

      (How High Will You Climb? was first published as Your Attitude in 1984 by Here's Life Publishers.)

      I received How High Will You Climb? as a gift from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for the purpose of writing a review.

    Book preview

    How High Will You Climb? - John Maxwell

    Acknowledgments

    Thanks for this book must be expressed to my parents, Melvin and Laura Maxwell, for providing a home life that was accented with healthy attitudes for living. Positive attitudes, which are more caught than taught, surrounded me from the day I was born.

    My wife, Margaret, provided wise counsel, and our children, Elizabeth and Joel Porter, gave me many illustrations. The Maxwell family is trying to live the principles of this book.

    Appreciation is also to be given to my former staff at Skyline Wesleyan Church for their input into this book. Their insights, questions, and suggestions highlighted many Tuesday staff meetings. Barbara Brumagin, my administrative assistant at the time, especially followed through on this project.

    Thank you to Paul Nanney for his friendship and exciting flying experiences that added to this book.

    SECTION I

    THE CONSIDERATION OF YOUR ATTITUDE

    1

    It’s a Bird . . .

    It’s a Plane . . .

    No, It’s an Attitude!

    It was a beautiful day in San Diego, and my friend Paul wanted to take me for a ride in his airplane. Being new to Southern California, I decided to see our home territory from a different perspective. We sat in the cockpit as Paul completed his instrument checks. Everything was A-Okay, so Paul revved the engines and we headed down the runway. As the plane lifted off, I noticed the nose was higher than the rest of the airplane. I also noticed that while the countryside was truly magnificent, Paul continually watched the instrument panel.

    Since I am not a pilot, I decided to turn the pleasure ride into a learning experience. All those gadgets, I began, what do they tell you? I notice you keep looking at that one instrument more than the others. What is it?

    That’s the attitude indicator, he replied.

    How can a plane have an attitude?

    In flying, the attitude of the airplane is what we call the position of the aircraft in relation to the horizon.

    By now my curiosity had been aroused, so I asked him to explain more. When the airplane is climbing, he said, it has a nose-high attitude because the nose of the airplane is pointed above the horizon.

    So, I jumped in, when the aircraft is diving, you would call that a nose-down attitude.

    That’s right, my instructor continued. Pilots are concerned about attitude of the airplane because that indicates its performance.

    He demonstrated by bringing the aircraft into a nose-high attitude. Sure enough, the plane began to climb, and speed decreased. He changed the attitude, and that changed the performance.

    Paul concluded the lesson by saying, Since the attitude of the airplane determines its performance, instructors now teach ‘attitude flying.’

    That conversation triggered my thinking concerning people’s attitudes. Doesn’t an individual’s attitude dictate his performance? Does she have an attitude indicator that continually evaluates her perspective and achievements in life? What happens when the attitude is dictating undesirable results? How can the attitude be changed? And, if the attitude changes, what are the ramifications to other people around him?

    My friend Paul had an instructor’s manual on Attitude Flying, the relationship between the aircraft’s attitude and its performance. We, too, have been given a handbook to attitude living—the Bible.

    The apostle Paul, when writing to the church at Philippi, placed before those Christians an attitude indicator. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5).

    Christ gives us a perfect example to follow. His high standard was not given to frustrate us but to reveal areas in our lives that need improvement. Whenever I study Philippians 2:3–8, I am reminded of the healthy attitude qualities that Jesus possessed.

    He was selfless. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others (vv. 3–4).

    He was secure. Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men (vv. 6–7).

    He was submissive. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (v. 8).

    Paul says that these qualities were exhibited in the life of Christ because of His attitude (v. 5). He also says that we can have this same attitude in our lives. We have a visual example of a Christian attitude, and we are encouraged to attain it.

    Paul states in Romans 12:1–2:

    Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed [How?] by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (emphasis mine)

    The result of a renewed mind or a changed attitude is to prove and fulfill God’s will. Again we see that the attitude dictates performance. I once preached a message from Psalm 34 entitled How to Face Fear. David was lonely, fearful, and frustrated in a cave surrounded by the enemy when he wrote this comforting message. The opening of the chapter enables the reader to see the reason for David’s success even when surrounded by problems.

    DAVID’S THREE-FOLD PROCESS OF PRAISE

    1. Praise begins with the will (v. 1).

    I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. David’s attitude reflects a determination to rejoice regardless of the situation.

    2. Praise flows to the emotion (v. 2).

    My soul shall make its boast in the LORD. Now David is praising the Lord not only because it’s right but also because he feels like it.

    3. Praise spreads to others (vv. 2–3).

    The humble shall hear and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. David demonstrates that the desired performance—praise—begins with an attitude that is determined to do it. The conclusion of the chapter records David’s triumph. The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of these who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

    Attitude living, like attitude flying, says my attitude dictates my performance. That canopy represents a lot of ground to cover in one book. We’ll need to examine:

    • What is an attitude, and why is it important?

    • What are the necessary ingredients for a high-performance attitude?

    • What causes an attitude to become negative? Disappointing?

    • How can a wrong attitude that is working against us be turned around to work for us?

    Along the way we will discover the attitude indicators revealed in persons described in the Bible, the best handbook on attitude performance available since God Himself gave it to us. Obviously, this book will not be the last word on this critical subject. But I hope it will be an enlightening word to those who understand the importance of attitude. I pray it will be helpful to those who want to change.

    Attitude Application

    Take a few minutes before proceeding, and ask yourself the following questions:

    Have I checked my attitude lately?

    How would I rate my attitude?

    Never been better Ilf_97814002059_0017_008.jpg

    Nose-high Ilf_97814002059_0017_008.jpg

    Nose-down Ilf_97814002059_0017_008.jpg

    What is an attitude indicator (something that reflects my perspective) in my life?

    2

    The Attitude—What Is It?

    The high school basketball team I played for was not having a good season, and one day the coach had one of those team meetings in which every player was quiet and listening. The coach continually stressed the relationship between the team’s attitude and the win-loss record. I can still hear his words: Fellows, your abilities say ‘win,’ but your attitudes say ‘lose.’

    Parents are called to school for a conference regarding their child. The issue? Timmy, a fifth grader, has failing grades and is causing a disturbance among his classmates. His aptitude tests show he is intellectually capable, yet he is failing miserably. The teacher suggests he has a bad attitude.

    A member of the congregation is being discussed in a pastoral staff meeting. Constantly recurring in the conversation is the phrase She has a terrific attitude.

    Hardly a day goes by without the word attitude entering a conversation. It may be used as a complaint or a compliment. It could mean the difference between a promotion or a demotion. Sometimes we sense it; other times we see it. Yet it is difficult to explain.

    The attitude is an inward feeling expressed by behavior. That is why an attitude can be seen without a word being said. Haven’t we all noticed the pout of the sulker or the jutted jaw of the determined? Of all the things we wear, our expressions are the most important.

    The Bible teaches us that God sees not as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9). These statements express our inability to know for sure what emotions are going on inside someone else. Yet while we refrain from judging others by their outward expressions, many times the outward actions become a window to the soul. A person who gives a look that kills probably is not inwardly singing, Something Good Is Going to Happen to You.

    Acts 20 gives the account of Paul stopping at Miletus and calling for the Ephesian elders. These men gathered and listened to Paul’s farewell address. The future was uncertain and their leader declared, "And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit

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