Sep 1, 2009

Attitude Check





















In all things, attitude not aptitude decides the altitude. I will say that again – in ALL things, it is ATTITUDE, not aptitude that decides the altitude.

Have you ever known anyone to succeed at anything by believing they couldn’t?

If there’s one statement I can nail my colours to the mast on; it’s that attitude not aptitude decides the altitude. NO, I’m not just rattling off platitudes here, I am talking from experience. Whether it was loosing four stone, exercising, quitting smoking, finding a way to write when I couldn’t sit, or birthing 11lb babies without epidurals, I work from the stance of attitude first.

The right attitude will stack the odds in your favour more than anything else will.

“If you believe you can, you can, and if you believe you can’t you can’t, either way you’re right,” is a great saying.

Does it mean you’ll never have bad days? NO. While you’re still breathing, you’ll have good days, bad days, and days you’ll question what on earth you're doing. But, even on the bad days, you can keep your attitude in check by saying, “Right, today might be crap, but tomorrow will be better.”

I leave you to study the picture above, and to contemplate the following quotes.

“Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to nurture it in solitude and to follow talent to the dark places where it leads.”
Erica Jong

“Logic will take you from A to B, but attitude, imagination, and belief in yourself will take you all the way.”
I Roche.

“Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if the only birds that sang, were those that sang the best!”
Henry Van Dyke

"It’s not that the published Author is smarter; they just stayed with the challenge longer."
I Roche

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Aristotle

"Write those little nuggets of inspiration, you never know which ones will grow, perhaps they all will. "
I Roche

"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”
William Feather

"Learn from yesterdays writing, enjoy today’s writing, and let tomorrows writing take care of itself! "
I Roche

“Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs.”
Malcolm Forbes

"People think it’s intellect that makes a great writer. They are wrong: its character. "
I Roche

"Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment. "
Baltasar Gracian

And finally, this gem:

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race!”
Calvin Cooldige


It's important to stay positive
Ita

2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for this post - reading it has made me realise that the reason my writing is lagging is because I have lost the belief that I can so am going to do my very best in the future. Have just discovered your blog through authorsblogs.com and have found it so inspirational and uplifting.

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  2. Hi Bethany
    Thank you for reading the post. I am glad it helped you. We all struggle to keep our belief alive but if you follow your heart you can't go too far wrong, or at least that's my believe. At present I am writing about little spiders who have won my heart completely so I must follow their story wherever it takes me. Follow your passion Bethony - stay in touch.
    With a smile
    Ita x

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