Attitude for the professional in you

I define ATTITUDE as the complex mental state involving our beliefs, feelings, values, and dispositions, which direct us to act in certain ways. Earl “Jedi” Nightingale truly understood how our attitude towards life determines life's attitude towards us: “Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.” Our attitudes are magnetic. Those people with positive attitudes (people who choose to be happy, optimistic about the future, and believe in themselves and others) will attract other people with positive attitudes and often times inspire those who hold negative attitudes. The reverse is true too. Therefore, it is vital that we become aware of our attitudes so that we can choose the attitudes that will help shape and reflect the world in which we want to live.

If you question the significant role our attitudes play in shaping our lives, just look to our political leaders, CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies, spiritual leaders, and professional athletes. They have all excelled in their particular fields due to hard work, talent, and positive attitudes. For example, Rafael Nadal has the attitude of a true champion – he never gives up and always believes that he can win no matter who his opponent is, no matter what the score is, and no matter how tired he may be.

Moreover, Rafael Nadal attributes his success to having a positive attitude: "If you play with a good mental attitude, even if you are not 100 percent, you can win because you win more with your heart, with your will power than with anything else.”

Granted, Rafael Nadal’s natural ability and work ethic helped shape him into the true tennis champion that he is, but he never would have reached such a high level of success without having a positive attitude. That’s not to say that if we choose positive attitudes, then we can play tennis as well as Nadal. However, we all have potential – some more than others. In order to play at our highest potential, we need to take Nadal’s advice and choose a positive attitude, because when all else is equal (skill level, physical fitness, strength, speed, and size) your heart and mind will be the deciding factors in whether you win or lose. And because you can choose what you put and keep in your heart and mind, I recommend you choose to fill them both with positivity.

By Joseph Discepola

e: jdiscepola@goibelieve.com

fb: Joseph Discepola

Joseph P. Discepola Esq. practices civil litigation in Fort Lauderdale with Marc A. Kaufman & Associates.