When I think about the way I may have acted on occasion and treated others, I’m reminded of a little story told by Brown that simply says, “I should always check my attitude.” I may have even been compared to a cat once or twice. You may relate better after reading this quip…

“We’ve seen it many times.  A cat is backed into a corner by the neighborhood dog. The cat hikes up its back, magically doubling in size, hisses like a snake, and claws the air like a deranged lioness. The dog suddenly decides it would be more prudent to go chase squirrels in the park.

What’s going on? The cat has acquired an attitude. There’s no way it can go toe-to-toe with a seventy-five-pound Doberman, but by jimminy it sure looks as if it can, and that qualifies as a successful encounter.

We all face snarling dogs every day. How we choose to deal with them determines the quality of our lives. The attitudes we adopt are always superior to facts and situations. Like the cat backed into the corner, we can decide to be bigger than our circumstances and stronger than our fears.

I often wear a white baseball-style cap with the word ATTITUDE across the front in big blue letters. I wear it hoping it might provide inspiration to me and to anyone who might notice it. And people often do. I see their eyes reading the single word; I almost hear gears in their head clicking with recognition: ‘Yes. Attitude. ATTITUDE! I need to remember that.’ Such a simple decision, so immediate a result.

When I straighten my cap, I’m reminded that my attitude probably needs adjusting, too.” ~ Excerpt from H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Highlighted in Yellow