Principles governing attitude part 2
We have been looking at the Importance of the Right Attitude ( see part 1 and part 2) and started to examine principles that govern our attitude. We have discussed the first of these principles (how my attitude when beginning a task is crucial to its outcome) in a previous post. To continue on:
2. My attitude towards others will determine their attitude towards me.
The story is told of a…
Principles governing attitude Part 1
We have been looking at the importance of a right attitude in our previous blog posts (See The Importance of Right Attitude Part 1 and part 2).
We are now going to look at some principles on attitude that I think can be helpful to consider. This post will cover the first principle.
1. My attitude when beginning a task is crucial to its future outcome.
As someone has once said, 'if you…
The importance of right attitude Part 2
We have been looking at the importance of right attitude and examples from history. (See previous blog post on attitude here.)
We continue this by looking at the attitude of Winston Churchill, taking over as British Prime Minister on 10 May 1940, a full 8 months after the outbreak of World War 2 in Europe. In his first speech to the British Parliament on 13 May 1940, he had to bluntly say, "I…
The importance of right attitude Part 1
It seems to be such a small thing, but over the years I have become more and more convinced that the right attitude is an essential component of a meaningful and fulfilling life.
By attitude I mean the way we look at and perceive the world around us. Let me try to first illustrate that with a humorous example.
A man goes to the doctor, saying 'Doctor, Doctor I am seriously ill! I am in…
Removing Our Idols
What do you think of when you hear the word idols? Eastern religious statues or the famous world-wide TV show popularised by Simon Cowell?
Whatever your answer I want to show you how essential understanding our own personal idols and removing them are to learning to dance with wisdom.
There are many secular and religious examples of idols. Indeed more than 500 years ago Martin Luther…
The power of the right question
I now suspect it was bound to happen sooner or later. I was recently on a skiing holiday and managed to break a bone in my left arm.
As I write this I am plastered up with a sling and can just about type with a single finger! At this point it would be so easy to get frustrated and disappointed with life, myself and the universe.
I could ask myself questions like, "Why am I such a bad skier?…
Lessons on giving from Bill and Melinda Gates
They are the richest couple in the world with a fortune currently estimated at $90 billion. Since 1994 they have donated $35 billion to charity. The Gates Foundation that was launched in 2000 is the world's largest charity with over $40 billion in funds. But the following 25 minute TED talk by Bill and Melinda Gates is a fascinating insight into what it personally means to develop a healthy…
Feeling stuck? When you don’t know how to do something
Kyle Maynard was born with a rare condition known as congenital amputation. This has left him with arms that end at the elbows and legs that end near his knees. From a young age he has learnt how to live life independently and without prosthetics.
In 2012, Kyle became the first quadruple amputee to climb – actually bearcrawl – the 19,340 feet to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of…
When the small things make a big difference
How do you discern the motives and intentions of others? How can you tell the honesty and trustworthiness of someone before it is too late? There is no easy answer. Often we learn these lessons from the school of hard knocks.
I am often struck how in human relationships the small things can make a huge difference. Apparently inconsequential actions can reveal otherwise undisclosed hearts and…
It took just a change of words
Words are powerful and can have a dramatic effect on our feelings, energy and attitude.
To illustrate this, have a look at the introduction to Charles Dickens' classic book 'A Tale of Two Cities' :
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of…
