Attitude is Altitude

The difference between attitude and altitude is one little letter. Little things can make a big difference.

I’m thinking of the night a pilot friend took us for a ride over the city of San Diego.

Our flight began in a small airport northeast of the San Diego hub. Although there was a low mountain at the end of the runway, we weren’t worried. We trusted our friend.

As we headed toward the mountain, we noticed he kept pulling a lever; we didn’t know why.

Our nighttime flight over the metropolis was awesome. It’s a beautiful memory, even now.

Back at the airport, we asked, “Why did you keep pulling that lever on our way up?”

His reply? “I was trying to get more lift.”

That statement has always stuck with me. I’m not a pilot, so the meaning for me became attitude is altitude.

From childhood to adulthood, life challenges vary. We have no control over those, but we can control our attitude.

We need to give ourselves a lift. With altitude, our view changes---the same is true of attitude.

Negative people tend to look down, keeping their thoughts focused on the problem.

Positive people, on the other hand, consider the problem, then look up. Answers or creative solutions require a different focus.

David wrote “I will lift up my eyes to the hills---from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2 (NKJV).

He looked up to change his perspective, yet he knew the hills themselves were not his help. His trust was in the God who made the hills.

I liked how our pilot dealt with the problem. He did it without fanfare.

Sometimes we need to work privately on our lift. Other times it makes sense to share with a friend we know will help us look up.

Either way, it’s a matter of choice, followed by a little effort.