Aptitude or Attitude

A reader wrote to ask whether I agreed with the following quote...

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.
- Zig Ziglar

My answer...

What you accomplish in life is a function of BOTH what God gave you (aptitude, place of birth, etc.)
AND what you do with your gifts (your attitude, etc.).

BUT, you can't change what you have been given,
while you CAN CONTROL your attitude: being positive, working hard, etc.

SO your attitude does control your altitude in the sense that it is the only variable that you have the ability to change.

Someone born with an IQ of 56 isn't going to become a great nuclear physicist - they just aren't.
But with a positive attitude, they can live a great life, being happy and inspiring happiness in others.

May the world be kind to you, and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Overcome Being Negative

Question: (edited)

I am having problems with being negative all the time and judgmental. I used to be much more spiritual. I am in a job where my boss disrespects me and lies to me. I'm actively looking for another job, but I can't find any. I ask God what is my lesson here. I'm afraid and angry. I want to become more spiritual again. What can I do?

Answer:

Your circumstances are certainly challenging. Begin by accepting that you have been given a difficult lot.

We cannot choose our external circumstances,
but we can always choose how to respond to them.
- Epictetus

1. Make a gratitude list. For every complaint you have about your life, write down five things you have to be grateful for.

If you are having trouble filling a long list with gratitudes, you can use A List of Gratitudes for suggestions.

2. Being of service to others will help you regain your joy and your connection with Spirit. Consider that your co-workers are probably treated as badly as you, and are probably as frustrated, angry , and hopeless. Find ways to brighten their lives, and you will brighten your own.

We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men
who walked through the huts comforting others,
giving away their last piece of bread...
They offer sufficient proof that everything
can be taken from a man but one thing:
to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances,
to choose one's own way.
- Viktor E. Frankl

As we work to create light for others,
we naturally light our own way.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Check out the Being of Service to Others section of The Secret of Happiness for more ideas on service.

3. Spend time with positive and spiritual people. If you can't find a church group you feel comfortable with, look in your community, and among your positive and spiritually-minded friends.

4. Meditate or pray. See Have a Conversation with God, Today

Read How to Keep a Positive Attitude Around Negative People for more ideas.

You may also find value in these articles...

Regarding gratitude and life

Zero-Based Gratitude

Pay It Forward - as an Expression of Universal Gratitude