What kind of attitude do you carry with you every day? Does it really matter? Yes, it matters. It matters a lot. Doors for success or failure are opened and closed by your attitude.

Some people look for every opportunity to complain and criticize. Some jump at the chance to gossip. Some carry within themselves disgust for all human beings. To these people, it seems that no one ever does the right thing. No one looks the right way or says the right thing.

That is the kind of attitude they carry with them day after day. It is certainly not a formula for success in any area of life. Quite the opposite is true. It is a formula for failure.

Try that formula in a marriage. There have been many who have and their marriages fail. How many couples look for reasons to praise their spouse every day? How many look for reasons to compliment and express genuine gratitude? Having that kind of an attitude is a formula for a successful marriage.

The same holds true in the work place. Over the years, I have worked in many different fields. Many times, I have seen an abundance of criticism and complaining. People complain about management. People complain about their salary. People complain about the customers. The list at the work place is almost endless.

Where's the love? What? Yes, I said, "Where's the love?"

Think about it. Isn't it always pleasant to spend some time with someone who is a very loving and caring person? When you know someone genuinely cares about you it is so refreshing to be in their presence or just hear their voice.

When you have a loving and caring attitude, you don't look for the bad things. Instead, you look for the good, and you find it! You can always find the bad if you look for it. You can always find something or someone to criticize. You can always find something to complain about.

But you can change that kind of an attitude. And believe it or not, it really starts with the attitude that you have about yourself! Almost everyone has heard, "Love your neighbor as yourself." The truth of the matter is that you will only love and care for others to the degree that you love and care about yourself.

Far too many people just do not love themselves. It's very easy to see the shortcomings and weaknesses that we all have in our own lives. But, who is perfect among us? And yet, with all the imperfection in our lives, the Creator loves us unconditionally. So if He loves us, we ought to love ourselves, in spite of our weaknesses. Not because we're good enough or even deserve it, but because if He can and does love us, then we can in turn love ourselves.

It's with that kind of an attitude that we can genuinely love others and genuinely care about them. Do you see the connection? Love others as you love yourself. It starts with you accepting yourself and loving yourself.

Make up your mind that you are going to genuinely care about everyone you meet. And if you're married, start at home, right now.

Make a conscious effort to look for the good in yourself, in people, in things and in situations. Refuse to look for the bad. Refuse to criticize and complain.

As you really develop this, you will be amazed at what happens in your life. Your marriage will take on a new dimension. Your work or business will be directed toward success.

If only those in sales would apply this simple truth, their business would skyrocket. If they would learn to love and really care about their customers instead of just seeing them as another dollar, their business would flourish.

Think about it, who do you really like to buy things from and whose advice do you really seek out? Those you know who truly care about you.

The attitude you carry with you is opening and closing doors for you every day. Choose to love yourself and choose to love other people, and you will see dynamic results!