Set yourself Apart with the Right Attitude

One afternoon I received a call from a friend who asked me to give a talk to his students. Whoa! That's a first time. Well, I cannot consider myself as a good speaker 'yet' (hopefully in the near future) or an influential person even but after having to hear his invitation I felt encouraged to say "Yes". 

I would not say that I have a broad experience in the professional world. I honestly consider myself as total newbie. Not on the basis of years, well maybe I can consider my less-than-10 years of work experience as somehow a little bit reliable by this time, but I believe the measure of one's growth individually is by how they have progressed as an individual considering their mental, emotional and psychological development.

For day's this friend bugged me on to what topic would I be confident to give a talk, I asked him what options do I have and he went on a litany of technical stuff including my current specialization SP3D (SmartPlant 3D) and went as far as database and Oracle.

Whew..., and I asked is there any topic that I can talk about that will not put his young students to sleep. (XD, well its almost March and I have a notion these students are already in the hype of graduation-blues, talking about my job no matter how interesting it is for me will definitely sound as alien-speak.)

That is when he gave me Work Ethics & Value Enhancement. (You asked for it?!!!) 

The following paragraphs you are about to read are basically the contents of my talk that day. I entitled it "Set Yourself Apart with the Right Attitude".

Before I proceed to elaborate on what I think as the set of attitudes that will set one apart from the crowd, I want to clarify that these attitudes aims to set one apart in a positive way.

In addition, I am not limiting the attitudes that distinguish oneself from others but for young people who are yet to embark into the journey of the real world, I deemed it necessary to let them take just some few tips that would surely come in handy and will help them jazz their way up to a good start. No matter what career they decide to take on in the coming years.

Why attitude? Why talk about attitude?

Before we answer the questions, let us define the word attitude. In Webster Dictionary, attitude is defined as an organismic state of readiness to respond in a characteristic way to a stimulus (as an object, concept, or situation). I would like to define it as 

Attitude - how one respond to an event or a situation.

Attitude is often equated to character.

However character in definition is the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation. Character is an innate quality or intrinsic trait of an individual. It defines or identify a person. From these definitions we can somehow say that the character of an individual contributes to the possible type of response that person will exercise, further manifesting the kind of attitude the person has. Being able to draw a clear line between character and attitude, a new question follows.

Why do we need to self ourselves apart? Why do we have to aspire to have the right attitude?

Many self-help books are mostly authored by successful people and you would be surprised to know that according to them it is not the ability or talent that defines one person and their way to success. Instead, it is having the right attitude that makes a difference between success and failure. It is attitude that counts for many companies in selecting their employees. It is a good mental attitude that motivates people and pushes people up towards success. Basically, successful people believes that in order to succeed you need to be able to set yourself apart.

Make your own branding.

 Whether you choose to get a job or venture into business it is very critical that you know how to distinguish yourself from the crowd.

Attitudes that attracts success.

There are only three attitudes that I will cite in this article. However, the right attitudes that will pave one's way to success is not limited to these three. Let's just say these three are essential for starters. In many ways I have witnessed these attitudes come into play from my own experience, and of other people whom I have come to work and interact with.

1. BE POSITIVE.

People with positive attitudes have dispositions in life that shows optimism. They perceive situations no matter how difficult as opportunities and they seldom complain. They are infectiously enthusiastic, and when they walk into the room they bring a vibe that is cheerful and contagious. Most importantly, positive people are happy people and great employees are known to take responsibility for their own happiness. 

Positive people are polite and they create an environment that is conducive and because of this they work well with people and they make good team members and leaders as well.

2. NEVER STOP LEARNING.

Why is it important to always have the willingness to learn? Jigoro Kano, was the founder of the Japanese Martial Art Judo. Judo became the defense system of the Japanese Police and was the first Eastern martial art to be accepted in international competitions at the Olympics. Kano was a man who had a deep commitment to learning that he focused on improving the techniques in all walks of life and he found a new and better way for Japan to educate its youth. Thus, he became known as the father of Modern Japanese Education. Just before he died, he gathered all his students and in his final words, their judo master spake;"When you bury me, do not bury me in a black belt! Be sure to bury me in a white belt!It would take a great deal of humility, for one to accept that they has still a lot to know.

In a similar thought, Socrates has also spoke;

"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing."

even in the Holy Bible, it was written:

"If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know."

- 1Corinthians 8:2

What do these passages imply? One day we will all become experts in the fields we have chosen to take, however, it is still very important that we continue to value learning and make it our lifelong goal. We need to have the hunger for more insights and aspire to discover new truths. This will open our eyes to new horizons. Each new learning will bring a refreshing wave of understanding and in turn we will learn to appreciate our potentials. This will also lead us into being open to our own weaknesses and be motivated to move towards the improvement of our own self.

Everyday let us learn something new. Like learn to plat music, learn a new recipe, or a new language. It will make us productive and it will increase our value.

3. STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE The last and the most challenging attitude is excellence.

Many people often equate excellence with perfection. There is a very fine line that separates these two things but they are not the same. Excellence is giving your best. In everything. It is like "If I am going to do this, might as well give it my best shot" attitude.

Excellence means not having the room for mediocrity. giving a half-baked job or output.

But how do we become excellent? What is the benchmark for excellence?

It is very difficult to answer and I would not try. However, my own recipe for excellence would be, "giving it a plus +".

Giving that plus + factor to everything that you do. Raising your bar a little bit higher.  For example, studying for an exam, you know you are capable of reading a chapter or two. But you strive to be excellent you read one chapter more. A friend asks for a help on a simple math equation, you teach her with another equation.

It is about giving your best. Constantly striving to be the best.

Being the best does not necessarily mean you have to be the best among everyone else, it meant being the best version of yourself. Having the conscientious attitude wherein you work  hard to complete your task without being asked or overseen.

Excellent people have commitment to their work and motivation to finish their job and finish it right, regardless of the job. They are ambitious and they crave for growth. They are not afraid to take on responsibilities, volunteer and lead.

Excellent people are curious to seek, to know and understand the what, why and how that goes behind about their task. They own it to themselves that they remain trustworthy and be be men of integrity. They are honest and their words are full of credibility.

These attitudes are guaranteed to take anyone to places and for sure these places are nothing but remarkable and the person who has these will also transform into exceptional.

But the challenge is not into acquiring or how to cultivate these attitudes, but the challenge in this era lies into having problem-solving skills. With the advancement in almost all facets of the human person, we are in a constant run into acquiring new knowledge and truths. We are at the time wherein the desire to seek the truth behind our environment outpaces the ultra-fast breakthrough in technology.

The challenge for people in this age is to find, create and innovate solutions. Thus, it would do well to take these right attitudes and equip ourselves with a positive mentality as we go out into the world and think of ways to wriggle out tough situations and circumvent the barriers that keeps us away from our goals.

"Our attitude is like a price tag, it shows how valuable you are." - unknown