We often keep hearing this magical 8 letter word "Attitude". The dictionary meaning says that "it is a settled way of thinking or feeling about something". But attitude connotes a lot more than that. It is the sum total of an individual's behavior and character which basically portrays his or her personal takes on life. The term has garnered lot of significance in the recent years with many companies resorting to recruiting people with the right attitude and instilling a skill in them rather than the other way round. Attitude can be construed as the mainstay or the deciding factor for all aspects in life. So what exactly is attitude?
There is a story about a balloon seller who was selling balloons underneath a tree on the temple grounds. Whenever the crowd used to trickle down he used release a balloon and seeing it rise up in the sky the kids would come rushing again to buy. This was going on for sometime when a curious kid who was watching this scenario unfold with fascination walked up to him and asked this innocuous question. "Whether a black colored balloon will go up"? The balloon seller then uttered something very profound. He told the kid that it is not the color of the balloon which makes it to go up but rather what is inside the balloon. We also have something which is inside us that catapults us to success. This vital ingredient is called attitude. It has been proven that 85 % of the time people get employed because of their attitude and the remaining 15 % based on how smart they are. So yes, attitude undoubtedly plays a major role is effectively steering us towards the brighter aspects of life and eventually on the road to success. So what constitutes this attitude?
There are many theories as to what constitutes ones attitude, right from the stream of thoughts that goes into our subconscious to the way we are brought up. But the 3 main factors that decide ones attitude are Education, Environment and Experience. Education, both formal and informal, shapes our wisdom and the way we perceive the world and people living in it. The environment in which we thrive is another factor which shapes our attitude. Just imagine if we are put in a environment pulsating with negative vibes and people throwing flak and dirt on each other. Initially we may not feel anything, but slowly and surely we will start to change without even us realizing it. When we have only negativity to process in our mind, there is very little scope for positive strains of thought to emerge from the slush. Our experience in life is the third significant factor which decidedly nurtures our attitude. If we had bad experiences with certain factions of the society / people then our attitude towards them will be skewed and contorted. It is very difficult to rationalize our behavior in such instances as our intellect and thinking takes its own course. It is like the saying "Once bitten twice shy"!
So we need to be very careful in the stream of thoughts that goes into our mind because what we encourage and feed the same will be nurtured by our subconscious mind. If we feed only negativism, then what comes out is no way going to be positive. So encouraging positive thoughts and good feeling will go a long way ion effectively shaping up our attitude. How difficult is it to shrug off our negative attitude?
Once an attitude concretize as part of our character edifice, then it's very difficult to change it. It is just like Habit. If you remove "H", a bit remains. If you remove "a" bit remains. Even if you remove "b", it remains. There is a story about a scorpion and frog. Once a scorpion wanted to cross the river and while waiting on the banks of it a frog trotted past him. The scorpion requested the frog to help him cross the river by carrying the scorpion on his back. A shocked frog disagreed stating that he is afraid of the scorpion stinging him during the process. The scorpion convinced the frog that he is not a fool to do that as it will tantamount to their sure deaths. Somehow the recalcitrant frog agreed and the journey started with the scorpion on the back. Somewhere in the middle of the river the scorpion struck. A dumbfounded frog, visibly in lot of pain, asked the scorpion why he did it even though he is sure to bring doom to them. The scorpion then confessed that he cannot help it as it is in his blood to strike! The attitude that we have nurtured so far is very difficult to forgo. So be very choosy in picking the right ones or else we will be doomed like the scorpion!
A positive attitude is like a breath of fresh air. It invigorates and energizes people around us. A positive attitude definitely increases the productivity in the work place, creates a congenial environment, fosters team work and brightens up the relationship with people around us. Moreover it makes us a very pleasing personality, some one with whom people would like to have a conversation and acquaintance. What more can you ask for in your work arena than the buy in of your own colleagues and compatriots? That is the magic of a positive attitude.
Someone once approached Blaise Pascal, the famous French philosopher and said, "If I had your brains, I would be a better person." Pascal then replied, "Be a better person and you will have my brains."
Let us all consciously strive to be better people in life !
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