Jeff Keller is the world-famous author of the book “Attitude Is Everything.” In this book, he has discussed at length the values of attitude.
Jeff Keller was an attorney who was highly disappointed with his work.
He wanted to bring peace to his client’s life by resolving their cases. But the high pendency of the cases and postponement of dates keep him at unrest. Trials linger unnecessarily and people used to suffer in their respective lives.
Table of Contents
What Motivated Jeff Keller To Write Attitude Is Everything Book?
What Motivated Jeff Keller To Write The Book Attitude Is Everything?
Jeff Keller’s job as a lawyer was too tedious. It drained him physically and mentally.
There was no early judgment on cases. He realized that people are in pain and living a meaningless life.
Their average performance as an individual is hampering their personal and social life.
Collectively, he found that people are lonely, depressed, sad, and demotivated. These factors are affecting their thoughts, relationships, progress, and performance.
He found that people’s mental and physical health is in a very bad state.
He could understand others’ problems so meticulously only because he was passing through the same agony. He was restless and worried.
He wanted to help people and make their life better. But he didn’t know how is it possible.
He was sure of one thing, that first he has to change then only he can change others.
[Also Read Joe Dispenza’s 20 Successful Living Rules.]
Where There Is A Will, There Is A Way
He was assessing different solutions for making the world a better place.
He was confused about how to begin and what was that first step which could pave the way to other steps.
Seeing an infomercial on TV, he orders “The Mental Bank.” It was a set of personality development books along with instruction manuals.
When he read and listen to different thoughts and processes from the greats like Napoleon Hill, Og Mandino, Norman Vincent Peale, and Robert Schuller.
He discovered the truth that thoughts convert into things. So whatever he wanted to achieve for himself and others is possible by following this new vision.
The new vision is a journey from a negative attitude to a positive attitude.
It’s All In The Attitude
Jeff Keller says, your attitude is your window to the world.
Your attitude is everything. It has the address of your success. So if you are not getting enough success in any desired field don’t curse your luck, check your attitude.
The good news is that we can build our attitude. It means we can develop our life.
The door to success is always open. Similarly, the door to failure is also open.
Each one of us holds the key to our lives. Which door is going to open for us is determined by our attitudes.
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal.”
Nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong attitude.”
Jeff Keller Book Attitude Is Everything
Keller has spent more than 20 years researching why it is that some people succeed, while others achieve disappointing results in life.
He worked extensively on human behavior, successful people, and mediocre people. Then he concluded his research work with 12 principles.
There are 12 rules given in his book. He has dedicated a separate chapter for each of his rules.
Rule- 1: Your Attitude Is Your Window To The World
Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.
— Dr. Joyce Brothers
Let’s imagine that you are going to a coffee shop during your lunch break
Everybody has to wait the same amount of time before the waitress takes the order, each of you receives a meal around the same time, each of you is served great food, and each of you has to wait for the check.
You walk into the coffee shop with a smile and a positive outlook. You have a delightful lunch, and pleasant conversations and go back to work with a recharged battery.
However, your co-worker also enters the coffee shop, with a scowl on his face, hunched over and tense.
He is annoyed that the waitress didn’t come immediately, and he had to wait for the food and the check. He also complained about the food.
So what is the difference?
The difference is attitude. The fact that you see the world with a positive attitude, and your co-worker sees it with a negative attitude.
Keller defines attitude as a mental filter through which you experience the world.
Some people see through the filter of optimism, while others see through a filter of pessimism.
You can control your attitude. Your attitude builds your worldview. How you see and what you see is determined by it.
When you say I can’t do it, it is not possible, everything is bad then you live with a negative attitude.
When you say that I can do it, it is possible, everything is not bad, then your thoughts reflect tons of positive attitude.
So how do you see the world?
Is the glass for you half empty, or half full?
Lesson From Rule-1 [Your Attitude Is Your Window To The World]
Your attitude is your window to the world. You are the person who is in charge of your life. You hold the key for all the prosperity and penury. No one else is responsible for your feat.
Rule- 2: You’re A Human Magnet
Whether you think you can — or think you can’t — you’re right!
— Henry Ford
So why do some people become successful?
Earl Nightingale sums it up with six words. These six words are the definition of success.
These six words are also the definition of failure. It depends on how you take this definition for yourself.
We Become What We Think About.
Think about it, if you constantly think about some goal, you will then take steps to move toward that goal. Your thoughts determine your actions.
“What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”
Napoleon Hill
You are a human magnet. You can attract success and happiness. You can also attract failure and disappointment. It all depends on the kind of dominant thoughts you have.
The Law Of Dominant Thoughts
It states that dominant thoughts rule the day. Our dominant thoughts are those thoughts which we think about most of the time. Our dominant thoughts propel our actions.
A little positive thinking doesn’t produce a positive result.
You can’t expect positive results if you spend 8 hours a day thinking positively, and the remaining 16 hours negatively.
The case is the same for workouts. You won’t be physically fit if you work out for five minutes once a week.
You have to think positively all the time until it becomes a habit.
A positive belief system is the starting point for the achievement of any goal. With a negative attitude, you are never going to take that first step.
You can change your thinking by becoming aware of what you say to yourself, reading positive literature every day, and listening to motivational programs.
Repetition is the key!
When you do something often enough then that becomes a part of your subconscious mind. It becomes your habit. It represents your behavior.
When you do something over and over again then that becomes a part of you. Repetition is the key. Whatever behavior and action you want to reinforce, repeat them daily.
Lesson From Rule-2 [You’re A Human Magnate]
Your circumstances represent what you have been thinking about. If you want to change your circumstances you have to change your thoughts. If your thoughts don’t change, your results won’t change.
Rule- 3: Picture Your Way To Success
“You must first clearly see a thing in your mind before you can do it.”
Alex Morrison
It means if you don’t see things clearly in your mind, then your mind can’t give you any clear suggestions about them.
Visualization is something that we use to create circumstances in our lives.
It can be defined as movies of the mind.
We begin to develop these movies early in life, and because of it, we create life situations that correspond to the original image.
Take responsibility for your movies because you are giving them birth from your mind.
You’re constantly generating new movies.
For example, how will you progress in life in the coming 5 years?
If you have no clear mental image, you don’t get any direction. You take reactionary steps. These steps are not a part of your long-term goals.
Keller mentions that it is important to see yourself succeeding consistently.
If you’re not getting the results you want, there’s no question that you hold onto these pictures. Change your mental image. Visualize a new image.
You’re the director, scriptwriter, and producer of your movies.
Let’s try it out!
Close your eyes and think about an elephant. Now change the color of the elephant to pink. Now change it back to its normal color. You can easily visualize the entire process.
It means you are in control of your mental image. You can give shape to them and produce them at will. You can change your old movies and occupy your mind with new ones.
Lesson From Rule- 3 [Picture Your Way To Success]
You have control over the picture that occupies your mind. You can see a bright & sunny day or a dark & cloudy day. You have your power. Drive your life to success by creating the right pictures.
Rule- 4: Make A Commitment … And You’ll Move Mountains
Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.
— Napoleon Hill
Are you willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish your objective? That is the key to getting what you want in life.
Commitment is the willingness to do whatever it takes to do that task.
If you have to take 1 step, you will take that 1 step.
If you have to take 100 steps, you will take those 100 steps.
If you have to take 1000 steps, you will take those 1000 steps.
This is the name of willingness to do whatever it takes to do.
Commit, regardless of the steps it takes and the hardships you have to undergo. You will do whatever is needed.
Once you’ve committed to achieving your goal, you’ll follow through with determination and action, until you have reached your goal.
You will notice that you begin to attract the necessary people to achieve your goal. Things won’t change too fast, but if you don’t give up, you can move mountains.
So ask yourself – are you willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goal?
Lesson From Rule-4 [Make A Commitment…… And you Will Move Mountains]
When you become willing and committed, you attract likewise circumstances and people. Your mind is like a magnate. When you show your commitment to something, your mind helps in creating the mental image.
Don’t give up, fight one more round and your commitment will make way for you.
Rule- 5: Turn Your Problems Into Opportunities
Every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.
— Napoleon Hill
How do you react when you are faced with problems and setbacks?
It is important to notice that if you are ready for a comeback after a setback. You can only make a comeback if you do those little adjustments which your problems are indicating.
Most people start to complain, but after that initial disappointment, you have a choice to make. You can either dwell on the negative or find the lesson in that problem.
Often problems aren’t even problems, they are opportunities.
For example, without a problem, you might never notice to take positive action.
Adversity serves us in many different ways, it gives us perspective, teaches us to be grateful, brings out our hidden potential, encourages us to make changes, teach us
lessons, and so on.
Always remember when one door shuts, there is always a better one waiting to be opened.
Lesson From Rule- 5 [Turn Your Problems Into Opportunities]
You can only turn your problems into opportunities by showing willingness. You change your adverse circumstances by thinking about new solutions.
Unfriendly times and situations do tell us to adjust our ways. Your adjustments require new perspectives. A new perspective is like a new mindset.
Whenever you have to change your level, you have to pick something new and drop something old.
Rule- 6: Your Words Blaze A Trail
The words you consistently select will shape your destiny.
— Anthony Robbins
Words are powerful. They carry emotions. Words have the power to touch your feelings.
In the book ‘Secrets of the millionaire mind’ there was a formula T-F-A = R. Here, T stands for thoughts, F stands for feelings & A stands for Actions.
The meaning of this equation is that thoughts lead to feelings, feelings lead to actions and actions lead to results.
Jeff Keller goes a little deeper. He gives this equation. Thoughts > words > beliefs > actions > results.
Jeff says your continuous thoughts give birth to those words which support your thoughts.
Since words have feelings they build your belief.
Your actions are influenced by your thoughts.
The level of action determines the level of result.
Let’s imagine that you work in sales, and you think to yourself that “I’m not very good when it comes to sales”. Then you make use of negative words, “I’m never going to do very well in sales”
Now this strengthens your beliefs, which is where things become serious. Everything you will achieve in your life flows from your beliefs.
Because you don’t believe in your sales ability, you will take very little action, and you will get poor results.
So use positive self-talk as often as possible, and discuss your goals only with supportive people.
Lesson From Rule 6- [Your Words Blaze A Trail]
Look at your attitude. Have positive thoughts and use positive words. They will give you optimistic feelings. Your belief system will become stronger. It will reflect in the form of healthy actions and desired results.
[Also Read- Jordan Peterson’s 12 More Rules For Life]
Rule- 7: How Are You?
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
— Unknown
So, how are you? It seems like a small question, but we answer this question so often that it is not small to answer.
There are three categories for your answers, negative, mediocre, and positive.
Some examples of negative are: lousy, I’m tired, don’t ask.
Mediocre answers are “I’m okay, not too bad, could be worse”, and so on.
Positive answers are terrific! Fantastic! Great!
Your words affect your physiology.
If your answer is horrible, you tend to take on a depressed posture. And what about your emotions? They definitely won’t make you feel better, if you say you feel horrible.
How we feel is often a subjective matter, if we say we feel tired, we will feel tired.
If we say we feel well and jovial, we feel the excitement and gush of happiness.
Lesson From Rule- 7 [How Are You?]
Since words have emotions and answers are given in words, it affects us. Every feeling affects our physiology.
When we describe our current situations in a negative, we feel negative and become sad. When we narrate our current situation in a positive, we become positive and feel happier.
Rule- 8: Stop Complaining!
Troubles, like babies, grow larger by nursing.
— Lady Holland
How often do you complain?
It is okay to discuss your problems in an attempt to search for solutions and to share your bad life experiences with friends and relatives.
But complaining about back pain, headache, and flu doesn’t provide anything. Complaining makes your problem worse. You only get better when you think of solutions.
Next time you feel like complaining, pick up a pen and a piece of paper and start listing all the reasons you have to be grateful.
In short, No-one wants to hear negative news about your
illness and problems. Complaining reinforces your pain and discomfort
Complaining accomplishes nothing and distracts you from the actions that you could take to improve the situation.
Be positive and grateful in life.
Lesson From Rule- 8 [Stop Complaining]
Complaining doesn’t help you. It rather confounds your mind and slows down your progress. People don’t like the person who always complains.
Rule- 9 Associate With Positive People
Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dreams.
— Unknown
Someone has rightly said, “Tell me who you hang out with and I’ll tell you who you are”.
There are two kinds of people, toxic people, and nourishing people.
Toxic people dwell on the negative. They try to drag you down to their level. They tell you about all of the things that you can’t do. They suck all the positive energy out of you.
Nourishing people are positive and supportive. They are a joy to be around and make you feel better.
You should stop spending time with toxic people, and start spending more time with nourishing people.
we become what we surround ourselves with.
Lesson From Rule- 9 [Associate With Positive People]
You are an average of the people you spend the most time with. People can judge you by looking at your engagements. Always pay heed to who you are spending your time with.
Rule- 10 Confront Your Fears And Grow
Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you want to be successful, you must be willing to be uncomfortable. If you want to achieve your goals, you have
to step out of your comfort zone.
Sounds very simple, but most people still back away from the fear, and take no action.
If you know that something is necessary to get what you want in life, you have to face your fears.
When we don’t confront our fears, we capitulate to them. Our submission to issues halts our progress.
We love to live in our comfort zones because we are comfortable with the situation. We become used to them. There is no challenge and we tackle them easily without any pressure.
But this is also the problem. When we don’t try anything out of our comfort zones, we become stagnant and typed. The new world, people, philosophies, and situations create fear within us.
Now backing away from your fears relieves the fear and anxiety, but what else does it do?
Nothing!
But there is a high cost that comes from backing away from your fears. It lowers your self-esteem, makes you feel powerless and frustrated, sabotages your success, and you’ll never be highly successful.
So always have an ‘I can do attitude.’ Because it gives you the courage to take that extra push. You try new things, learn new ways, meet new people, and learn new skills. These things transform you and your life.
Lesson From Rule- 10 [Confront Your Fears & Grow]
Take more action in life. Don’t be fearful. Your actions bring results. They teach you and strengthen your belief. When you make a move, a whole lot of things move around you and change the status quo. You become fearless.
Rule- 11 Get Out There And Fail
Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.
— Winston Churchill
One thing in common with all these self-development
books are that they recommend you to fail.
It means you are trying something new and not getting the desired success. Initial failure is not the problem, not trying new things is the problem.
If you avoid failing, you can’t learn new skills.
Remember when you were a kid and learned to ride a bicycle?
You failed many times but never gave up, and because of that you now can ride a bike forever.
Successful people have learned to fail their way to success.
It is a necessary part of the road to victory. Remember that there is no such thing as a failure until you completely give up.
When you don’t give up, you have only results. Some results are less favorable and some are more favorable.
Lesson From Ruke 11 [Get Out There And Fail]
Success, to a large extent, is a matter of persistence. if you keep trying, keep developing yourself, and keep making adjustments along the way, you’re going to succeed.
Rule- 12 Networking That Gets Results
You can get everything in life you want if you’ll just help enough other people get what they want.
—Zig Ziglar
Networking means that you are leveraging your efforts and accelerating the pace at which you get results.
The more relationships you build, the greater opportunities for success you have.
You can’t succeed on a grand scale all by yourself!
The benefits of networking are for example that it generates new clients and business leads, assists in solving problems, and provides valuable information and resources.
To build your network, you should have a positive attitude and participate actively in groups!
Serve others in your network, when you give, you receive.
Also, be a good listener, and treat every person as important.
Meet different people, and be willing to go out of your comfort zone. Also, remember to thank and congratulate people that are part of your network.
To shortly put the main points of networking, you need to have a positive attitude, healthy communication, and consistency in behavior to build a network.
Lesson From Lesson 12- [Networking That Gets Results]
Be positive and enthusiastic. People will love you and spend time with you. Always remember what Eugene Benge has said, “Getters don’t get, givers get.”
Conclusion
These are the 12 lessons in the book, Attitude Is Everything by Jeff Keller. If you made it this far, make sure to leave a comment, about which lesson resonates with you the most.
And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
And we are always open to hearing your valuable suggestions to up our work, leave your comments below.
Spread the word and help the world!
Thank You!