Most Worshipful Grand Master, Brethren, Ladies and Guests, good evening.

Did you know that if you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat-up one cup of coffee.

I hope you won’t need the caffeine to stay awake while I flex my vocal cords during this oration titled…

TAKING LATITUDE WITH ATTITUDE

“Our perception of people, of places, of things at any moment in time is based on the attitude we have chosen for that instant in time.” Perception is based on attitude. Positive and negative, optimism and pessimism, love and hate, good and bad are opposite words and emotions that influence us in all relationships – in all circumstances – in all situations.

One of college football’s most successful coaches, Lou Holtz said, “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”

How we treat others in our personal relationships, in our professional relationships and in our fraternal relationships is all based on our taking latitude with attitude.

We all have the ability to develop positive attitudes that bring out the best in ourselves as well as in others. With that ability we can display all of the attributes that are becoming to the character that is so inherent in this Fraternity. Using that ability we learn how better it is to share with one another – to give to one another – to be civil to one another. It’s just a matter of positive thought, if you think you can; then you will.

“The Man Who Thinks He Can” is a poem written by the American poet Walter D. Wintle and it goes like this:

If you think you are beaten, you are;

If you think you dare not, you don’t.

If you like to win, but think you can’t,

It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,

For out in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow’s will;

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are out classed, you are;

You’ve got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the stronger or faster man;

But soon or late the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

The strength of a person’s character is directly related to an attitude that is developed through past behavior, created through instilled values and influenced by positive or negative thinking. Albert Einstein said, “Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.”

Motivation is the key to improving our character, our temperament and our attitude. The manner, disposition and feeling we have toward all things is our attitude. How we portray that attitude is what is important. Someone once said, “Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.”

Charles R. Swindoll an evangelical Christian pastor and educator wrote, “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company …a church …a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past …we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.

We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude …I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you …we are in charge of our attitudes.” He also went on to say, “Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.”

When we are in charge of our attitudes we have control over our emotions. We have control over outside influences. We keep our passions within due bounds.

Someone once said, “The key to happiness is not fixing your problems but changing your attitude towards your problems.” We seek happiness by choice and find happiness through attitude.

There is an old Scottish proverb that goes like this: “Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.”

Groucho Marx said, “I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”

Optimism also plays an important roll in the health and happiness that one seeks. James Branch Cabell wrote, “The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.”

If you think you can; then you will. Being optimistic and maintaining a positive attitude reduces blood pressure, shrinks the purple pulsating forehead vein and removes the scarlet glow from our faces. Being optimistic and maintaining a positive attitude erases many of the regrets that we might have regarding the juvenile and animated gestures that our arms and fingers display. Being optimistic and maintaining a positive attitude lowers the number of apologies one might make from the vocal display and verbal tirade of reacting before thinking.

At one point during a ball game, the little league coach said to one of his young players, “Do you understand what cooperation is? What team work is? What positive attitude is?” The little boy nodded in the affirmative. “Do you understand that what matters is not whether we win or lose but how we play the game as a team?” The little boy nodded yes. “So,” the coach continued, “when a strike is called at home plate, or you’re called out at first base, you don’t argue or curse or attack the umpire, you are optimistic and keep a positive attitude. Do you understand all that?” Again the little boy nodded. “Good,” said the coach. “Now go over there and explain it to your mother!”

When we are in charge of our attitudes we have the choice to either maintain a positive outlook or we can maintain a negative outlook. A negative outlook creates an attitude that infects all who are in contact – all who have to communicate – all who relate to the infectious carrier. We must inoculate ourselves against this virus called negative attitude.

Can bad or negative attitude be changed or at least modified? Take for example a young man named John who received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of this bird’s mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird’s attitude by constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, and anything he could think of to set a good example but nothing worked. Finally, John got fed up and he yelled at the parrot. And, the bird yelled back. John shook the parrot, and the bird got angrier and ruder. Eventually, in a moment of desperation, John put the bird in the refrigerator freezer. For a few minutes, John heard the bird squawk and kick and scream… then suddenly there was silence – not a peep for over a minute. Fearing that he’d hurt the bird, John quickly pulled open the freezer door. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John’s outstretched arm and said, “I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I am truly sorry, and I will do everything to correct my poor behavior.” John was astonished at the bird’s change of attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, “May I ask what the chicken did?”

Maybe it takes some gentle persuasion or graphic examples or repetitive suggestion to force a change for the better? Bad attitude is something the must always remain in check or at the least kept in the freezer of ones thoughts.

Keep this in mind when treating others with a “certain” attitude, “Life isn’t like a box of chocolates…it’s more like a jar of jalapeno’s. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow!”

It’s all in how you look at things, as the character Ziggy in the comic strip by Tom Wilson says, “You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.”

Thank you and enjoy the rest of your evening.

Frank C. Baker, Worshipful Grand Orator – © 08 April 2006