The High Road

There are many roads that people travel in life. In fact every person is traveling a different road.

Some of those roads are high, meaning they are filled with positive expectations, uplifting thoughts, and gratitude. Some of the roads are low roads, filled with doubt, fear, worry, self-pity, disdain, and other negative emotions.

Of course there are an infinite number of different roads in between. Does your road lean toward the high or the low spectrum?

If you are a supervisor, manager, or even executive, are you engaged in thoughts and activities that are self-serving? Or are you engaged in thoughts and activities that serve others? The answer to that question will tell you which road you are traveling.

Some people feel insecure in their positions and so they engage in hoarding or controlling information, blaming other people or departments for problems, taking credit for other people's work, avoiding responsibility or not being accountable, defending their actions or departments, and generally engaging in defensive thought and behavior. These actions indicate someone who has chosen to take the low road.

Other people acknowledge that they need to learn and grow in their positions and actively seek to better themselves every day. They choose an attitude of freely sharing information they possess and even seek to give it to those who could benefit. Instead of blaming others, they ask themselves what more they can do to rise above their circumstances and get the results they want.

They abundantly give credit to the people who do the work and do it with gratitude. They always take responsibility for their work and eagerly make the changes needed to help the organization work as a team.

They are optimistic, expecting the best outcomes from their people and teams. They maintain a positive mental attitude. They are traveling the high road.

You can also evaluate your personal life as either on a high road or a low road.

If you see and expect the best in people and the world, you travel a high road and experience positive results, joy, and happiness.

If you live with doubt, worry, and criticism, you experience similarly negative results. If you expect the worst in people and in life, guess what you'll get? You are traveling a low road.

Which road you travel is a choice. What is your choice today? Today's road creates tomorrow's road.

If your road is not as high as it could be, then identify one change to lift your road higher. Choose to make that change and take repeated action until your road is permanently lifted up.

Joe Farcht is the founder and president of Leadership Advantage, Inc. Order his FREE Report: The Eight Elements of Exceptional Performance. Contact Joe at joefarcht@cox.net or at 602 996-1802.