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"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing, that's why we recommend it daily." - ZigZiglar

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Your attitude - resource number four for Personal development

We shall now discuss the fourth resource for personal development - Your Attitude

Personal development resource #1
Personal development resource #2
Personal development resource #3

Have you heard the saying “It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude” by Zig Ziglar. This is one of my favourite quotes. Yes, it is our attitude that matters most in our quest for personal growth or self improvement.
I have come to know a very talented person, whose talents I greatly admire and wish to emulate, but somehow this person’s attitude drives people away as further as they could possibly be driven. This person to me is a living example of how having a poor attitude sucks despite the talent or the aptitude.
Skill, talent or potential alone is not enough to lift you higher. Your attitude is what really counts.
It is so easy to work with a simple person, there are no ego tussles involved, the talk is straight, dealings are simple and clean and there are no hidden agendas to make you cautious of the person.
Here are a few ‘be attitudes’ and ‘don’t be attitudes’  that I would like to highlight.
The don’t be attitudes
A negative attitude, the person has nothing positive to say about anything. Most statements are filled with negative words and no one is good enough. This in my opinion this is an attitude that can only take you one place, down into the dumps.

Another stinking attitude is that which says, ‘oh I know it all, you don’t teach me’ or ‘there is nothing new I can learn from this’ or something to that effect. As a person it tells your story and your attitude towards life. I believe that we continue to learn till our last breath. On their death bed in their last moments some people discover what exactly they mean to their close family members, even that is a place of learning.

Another attitude that you may want to throw out of the window is ‘I am better than most people’. It is great to think positively but not at the cost of discounting others. The best thing you can do for yourself and other is see the good in them and in you.

You can be a great success in your professional life, but if you are a failure in handling relationship all this comes to a naught. It is important to achieve a balance and being able to assign each its rightful place. Success is not about excelling in one area at the cost of others, but it is about achieving a balance in all areas of life and being a person who is whole.

The Be attitudes
Don’t wait for everything to fall in place, your journey will never begin. It would be better to be a pioneer and take the path that is least trodden than take the well beaten path and find that there is too much competition there.
No job it too tough or too big to be handled. You are never too old to learn.
Be ready to grab every opportunity that knocks on your door, if you wait for the right one you may have to wait for a lifetime.
Don’t hesitate to start at some position that is low, the only place that you can go is higher. This way you will learn the ropes and know what happens below when you are some place higher in the hierarchy.

These are a few attitudes that I have highlighted to show what is or is not a great attitude for personal development.



2 comments:

  1. A great post about the importance of attitude in our lives. I like Zig Ziglar's quote in that it's not our aptitude but our attitude that determines how high we can fly - so true. I like Sir Winston Churchill's quote: Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. Thanks for sharing this excellent advice.

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  2. Ritchie, attitude is one think that I have been keen about while recruiting people as a HR person. A person with a great attitude can achieve much more than one with great skill and poor attitude. I appreciate your comment and contribution to this post :)

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