Conclusion: A positive attitude is an attitude of acceptance. A negative attitude is one of pride-based resistance. Our attitude is determined by what we have inside our mind. By meditating, we can release judgments and negativity from our mind and achieve a naturally accepting mind, which is our true mind.
What is attitude?
An attitude is a perspective of the world in our mind. Objectively, the world just exists. It is what it is. However, we live in our own world of judgments of good vs bad, right vs wrong, yours vs mine, this vs that, etc.
This mind world is like a copy of the world and entirely subjective. For example, if two people observe the same situation, one of them might say it was good and the other might say it was bad. However, such judgments are subjective and false. The situation is neither good nor bad. It is merely what it is, it is objective.
Since we only have our subjective perspective, we are unable to see the reality as it is. Since there is a mismatch between the standards of our subjective world and the objective (real) world, we can’t help but judging. We are born this way. Some people might judge more, some less, but everybody does. What we call a ‘bad attitude’ is whatever judgment our mind passes at any given moment or situation.
Why do we have a negative attitude?
Every person has pride in their mind. This pride is demonstrated as resistance to what is, i.e. to other people, a situation, and the world as such. Subconsciously, this prideful mind tells us the following: “I am right, others are wrong. Others need to listen to me and change their ways, but I don’t need to change.”
Depending on our characteristics, we react differently in situations where our pride is triggered. A person who is strong-minded may try to impose their will on others. Such behavior leads to a lot of suffering for the other person and to no betterment for anyone. A weak-minded person may not have the strength to impose his will; such a person is instead prone to take on a victim mindset; he mutters to himself and harbors anger and hatred against other people and the world.
If we look back on ourselves, we will become aware that the pride in our mind is the basis and reason for our bad attitude.
What can we do about it?
The negative attitude is painful to us and to the people around us, so it is important that we change it. This is ultimately something that everyone needs to do in order for this world to become a better place.
The solution for getting rid of the negative attitude is to remove the judgmental thoughts and emotions from our mind. This is done by practicing meditation.
By meditating we watch what is going on in our mind (introspection) and empty it out (discarding/letting go). As we meditate, we gradually become aware of all the mechanisms at play in our mind, all the negativity, all the judgments, all the self-rationalizing thoughts, all the resistance to the world, all the pride.
The more we become aware, the more we can see of this. We discover layer upon layer of negative and prideful minds. Thanks to the meditation we can throw these out. As we do this, our mind starts to change. It stops being stuck within the framework of the judgements, and starts to see things objectively.
What this does to our attitude is that we give up the struggle against the world. Instead, we naturally become accepting to whatever happens. We begin to deal with things with much more ease and joy than before. Our mind becomes flexible, and we can more easily adapt to all the situations in life. We also become humble.
Best approach: everything is my fault, everything is a lesson
Through meditation, we shift the focus inwards instead of outwards. When we feel hate, anger, or other negative feelings towards someone or something, we recognize that it is because of ourselves. The only thing we see in those situations is our own mirror image, our own judgments that have nothing to do with other people or the world. We realize that when we judge and blame others, we actually just stare at ourselves and curse at ourselves. It’s really ridiculous.
When we realize this, we also begin to understand that everything that happens in life is a trial and a chance for us to overcome and move towards our true self. We realize that the whole life experience exists for us to become true beings by getting rid of our negative minds.
A truly good attitude
A truly good attitude is the attitude of acceptance. Acceptance comes from living with the true mind. The true mind is one with everything, so it accepts everything. It is the highest and the lowest. It has nothing to prove, and no one to beat.
The true mind is naturally revealed when we discard the falseness in our mind through meditation. This is the best way of changing our negative attitude to a positive one. This way, we can enjoy all the joys of living a true and accepting life.
I really recommend you to find a meditation center that teaches how to empty your mind. Thank you so much for reading, and please take a minute and check out the video below.
