Professional speaker, business expert, and former professional basketball player Walter Bond is the embodiment of the phrase, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” From the hard work and dedication he put into his basketball career to the power and excitement he brings to his live speaking events, Bond is a firm believer that you can achieve anything you want in life as long as you’re willing to put in the work to make it happen.
At the beginning of his book, All Buts Stink, Bond asks the question, “How many times have you heard someone use the word “but” to justify an area in which they haven’t had success?” This book is for those people. In his typical upbeat and motivational style, Bond strives to “…help people who are motivated to reach their full potential ‘but’ need some encouragement and support getting to the next level of excellence.” And according to Bond, it all starts with your attitude.
In the first chapter, Bond lays out his four keys to a good attitude:
Make the most of every situation.
“Always make the most of every situation that comes your way. For example, don’t complain that the hotel is too far away from the parking lot, take this as an opportunity for a much-needed workout.”
Discipline your mind.
“You are a prisoner of your thought life. How you think will dictate your attitude, how you think will drive your behavior.”
Be selfless.
“The happiest people you want to meet are the selfless ones. It doesn’t matter how much money they make, selfless people are always happy people.”
Have short-term memory.
“It’s easy to fall into the trap of holding onto wrong thoughts from one day to the next, even longer. Have short-term memory when it comes to negative experiences and hold onto the positive ones.”
These four ideas set the tone for the rest of the book. Then, through a series of personal stories and insights gained throughout his career, Bond tries to show you how to change your attitude when faced with challenges or roadblocks and stop making excuses for why you’ll never overcome them.
In a chapter dedicated to understanding your “personal vision,” Bond explains the importance of having a vision of your future life because, “it is a roadmap that drives anyone that is serious about success.” He believes there are too many people who live their lives on a “we’ll see what happens” basis and explains that, “there are elements of risk or uncertainty in a vision, but you must have an idea of what you want your life to end up like so you have some direction and clarity to make appropriate decisions that should guide you straight toward your destiny.”
Basically, how do you take steps to achieve something you haven’t yet defined? It’s a simple thought that could have a profound impact on how you strive to reach your ideal future. And it’s Bond’s hope that you will be inspired to take stock of the things you do each day and decide whether or not they’re leading to a place you truly want to be.
All Buts Stink is remarkably positive and Bond’s energy and commitment to his ideas are evident throughout. You truly believe he lives what he preaches. This book will motivate you to take a closer look at how you perceive and react to the world around you. Once you understand just how much control you have over your attitude, there’s no limit to how far it can take you.
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