Forming a winning attitude is not a subject that is taught in school. Unless you are an athlete, it is extremely unlikely that you are exposed to the rich lesson that if you believe in yourself you can accomplish great things. (And while there is nothing wrong with promoting a winning attitude during a game, it is the long-term effects that are most important).
Certainly there are teachers who pay attention to individual students. But overall, focusing on a positive attitude and how it can help you throughout your life is often ignored. Stressing that all of us are engineered for success is not considered. And, that, I think, is an injustice.
Instead of focusing on how young people can see themselves and learn to tap into the essential aspects of whom they are and whom they can become, the target is changing behavior. Anyone who has been punished knows the terrible feelings that accompany it. But it takes an insightful and caring adult to make sure that the child or student separates the deed from the person. We all remember the “bad” kids in school, the ones who didn’t pay attention or do their assignments on time. Often, they were sent to detention, which didn’t solve anything. If you are told often enough that you aren’t smart, or get a message that you aren’t a worthy human being, you will believe it.
In college, the stakes are higher. There are too many stories of frat parties and hazings that spin out of control, resulting in hospitalizations, criminal charges, and even deaths. Now I am not defending irresponsible and inappropriate actions. What I am saying is when a person has a positive attitude about himself, when he realizes what his actions can do and that he is a responsible and caring person, he knows who he really is.
In a work environment, as Zig Ziglar said, “attitude, not aptitude, is responsible for altitude.” In a work setting, there are very basic steps to follow:
- Get to your job early and leave late.
- Offer to do more than your job description.
- Learn a new skill.
- Quality efforts, not titles, matter.
When the uniqueness of every person is acknowledged, and they realizes they were given life to use their gifts for the benefits of others and themselves, then everyone profits.
The preceding is adapted from The Winning Advantage: Tap into Your Richest Resources by Raymond Houser ©2018 Raymond D. Houser and published with permission of the author.