It's all about attitude

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Glen Usherwood
  • 81st Mission Support Group superintendent
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Viktor Frankl, who was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist as well as a Holocaust survivor said, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." In his book, Man's Search for Meaning, he noted that during his time in a concentration camp, attitude could literally be a matter of life or death. He would watch fellow prisoners and could tell by their attitudes that they had given up, and those that did, died the quickest, many times within days.
 
No matter what's going on around us, when the walls seem to be crumbling down, we still decide how we react to circumstances before us, we still control our attitudes. Life can be challenging, demands from work, family, finances, and a myriad of other sources can seem overwhelming at times. There are several agencies available to help us through those times, but there are also things we can do to help ourselves, and those around us.

First of all, I will tell you I'm not a Doctor, I'm what I would consider to be a simple country boy from central Florida who is just passing on some personal experiences and observations.

For the sake of space I will present two points. First, think about what you do--really think about it. You are part of an institution, the United States Air Force, an institution whose total population comprises only a fraction of one percent of the total population of our great nation. As part of that less than one percent, your contributions directly influence our ability to protect the rights and freedoms of the other ninety-nine plus percent. It's too easy to lose sight of the big picture, it's too easy to forget that what we do really matters, and matters a lot! No matter what yourAir Force Specialty Code, duty title, position number, job series, pay grade, you name it, we need you!

Each of us brings something to the fight and realizing, and more importantly believing that, can go a long way to promoting a positive attitude. I'm also a firm believer that attitudes are contagious, and are easily passed on, producing either a positive or negative impact. We've all known people that no matter how good things are they still find something to complain about--you know the ones who would win the lottery and complain about having to drive to pick up the money, thanks for the line Master Sgt. Culver.

We've all worked with people that we just knew what we were going to get, oh boy, here comes "Debbie downer" again, no offense to anyone named Debbie out there, you get my drift. Those attitudes effect everyone those folks come in contact with. On the flip side, we have all also had the experience of being around folks that always seemed to be having a great day, no matter what was going on. These are the people who have decided to see the positive, or accept the challenges for what they are, an opportunity to grow and get stronger. It's absolutely amazing how even just a couple of words can change the tone in a situation. Anyone that knows me, knows whenever I'm asked how I'm doing my reply is always frickin' awesome. The reaction is usually very positive and leaves people with a smile on their face. It's incredible to think that what you do directly contributes to the success, or failure, of our Air Force, and much of that is determined by your attitude--I challenge you to catch a good one, and pass it on!