"We choose what attitudes we have right now. And it's a continuing choice"
About this Quote
Maxwell’s line is a gentle provocation dressed up as reassurance: your mood isn’t just weather; it’s steering. By framing attitude as something “we choose” not once but “right now,” he collapses the comfortable distance people put between themselves and their reactions. There’s no mythic turning point, no grand personality overhaul. Just the immediate, unglamorous moment when you decide whether to meet the day with resentment, grit, curiosity, or withdrawal.
The genius is the insistence on “continuing choice.” It sidesteps the motivational-industrial fantasy that a single epiphany fixes you. Maxwell, a clergyman-turned-leadership guru, is speaking from a tradition that treats the inner life as an arena of discipline: daily practices, daily repentance, daily recalibration. The subtext is accountability without cruelty. He’s not denying trauma, temperament, or circumstance; he’s trying to shrink the space where we can hide behind them. If attitude is a choice you keep making, then your identity isn’t a verdict, it’s a habit.
Context matters here: Maxwell’s work sits at the intersection of evangelical pastoral care and corporate self-management. That gives the quote its clean, actionable cadence - perfect for sermons and boardrooms alike. It also reveals the pressure embedded in the comfort. If you can always choose your attitude, then you can also fail to choose it. The line offers empowerment, but it quietly assigns responsibility for the emotional tone of your life - and, by extension, the lives of people around you.
The genius is the insistence on “continuing choice.” It sidesteps the motivational-industrial fantasy that a single epiphany fixes you. Maxwell, a clergyman-turned-leadership guru, is speaking from a tradition that treats the inner life as an arena of discipline: daily practices, daily repentance, daily recalibration. The subtext is accountability without cruelty. He’s not denying trauma, temperament, or circumstance; he’s trying to shrink the space where we can hide behind them. If attitude is a choice you keep making, then your identity isn’t a verdict, it’s a habit.
Context matters here: Maxwell’s work sits at the intersection of evangelical pastoral care and corporate self-management. That gives the quote its clean, actionable cadence - perfect for sermons and boardrooms alike. It also reveals the pressure embedded in the comfort. If you can always choose your attitude, then you can also fail to choose it. The line offers empowerment, but it quietly assigns responsibility for the emotional tone of your life - and, by extension, the lives of people around you.
Quote Details
| Topic | Self-Improvement |
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