Attitude is to life as the atom is to matter. All matter consists of atoms…differing only in number, arrangement and behavior. In the same way, a successful life is more attitude than it is aptitude. Enthusiasm is more persuasive than the most eloquent man without it. Someone once said, “Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important!”
Most people are classified as either optimistic or pessimistic, but I think it really is a matter of the amount of cheerfulness or enthusiasm that is present in their lives. I have worked for both kinds of administrators…and I can say from experience, I worked harder for the enthusiastic leader. My actions related to the harsher and more critical administrator were basically the “meet the letter of the law” type which basically kept me out of trouble. I did a good job, but I was not inspired to do a “great work” nor was I able to believe something inspirational would be able to come out of that work. The caring, happy, enthusiastic administrator brought out of me my creativity, my loyalty, and cooperation and saw my first success at creating and selling my first educational teaching game. I found true joy in lending my abilities to his desire for excellence in education, and together, we found success.
“The greatest discovery is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” “Faith and initiative rightly combined remove mountainous barriers and achieve the unheard of and miraculous.” Yet, too often we spend almost 90% of our educational days teaching facts and figures, and hardly 10% teaching about attitudes and the choices we make in life. Yes, more people have pointed out that the affective parts of education are important, but it still remains in the shadows of classroom practice. A study by Harvard University revealed that 85% of the reasons for success, accomplishments, promotions, etc. were because of our attitudes and only 15% because of our technical expertise (facts).
It is information such as this that inspired Zig Zigler to develop the “See You At The Top” program for schools. In 1972, the Surgeon General of the United States, after a two-year study, declared that evidence showed a definite causal relationship between televised violence and antisocial behavior. Let me now quote what Zig Zigler wrote about the studies of Dr. Albert Bendura of Stanford and Dr. Leonard Berkowitz of the University of Wisconsin which “produced studies which show that people who see violence portrayed will behave nearly twice as violently as people who have not seen it. Presentations of violence can cause anyone to become more aggressive. Children, being more suggestible, are even more vulnerable. According to Dr. Berkowitz, “It’s pretty certain that people who watch sex movies are going to be sexually active afterward.” Since the average American youngster spends approximately 15,000 hours watching TV by the time he graduates from high schools, what he views will definitely affect his thoughts and, hence, his actions.”
I have seen the validity of these findings play out during my fifty plus years of teaching. At the time these facts were written, we did not have the availability of the internet. So, I have been shocked to see the increase in violent thinking and aggressive actions of young people. I have chosen to teach my students that to reach the top and to be successful, one must be deliberate in climbing the steps to success. I close this blog with some wisdom about achieving success by adjusting our mental attitudes. My old friend, Dr. Orbra Hulsey listed these seventeen secrets to success:
Keep your temper to yourself. Give your enthusiasm to everybody. Be yourself, forget yourself, become genuinely interested in the other guy. Be fair, honest, friendly – and you’ll be admired and liked. Make other people feel important. Count your assets and stamp out self-pity. Meet the other person at his / her own level. Put your smile power to work. Keep moving. Keep trying. Give the gift of heart. Get off to a good start in anything you do. Forgive yourself if you fail. Be lavish with kindness. Overwhelm people with your charm, not your power. Keep promises. Be optimistic.
And last of all, remember that of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.
- Kay