"Attitudes are
colours with which we paint pictures of our own story on canvas of life." - Craig Lock and my great buddy, Dr Andrew Eastcott Gisborne, New Zealand WHERE DO YOUR ATTITUDES COME FROM?
I believe that heredity (the genes that you inherit) have some part in forming attitudes. However, most important in shaping them, is family environment, especially in your early childhood: impressionable years up to age of seven. Also critical are your lifetime experiences and events (whether happy or traumatic) in later years. What is happening in your life today, yesterday and all those past years. There are three areas of life in which your attitudes are formed.
1. A sense of BELONGING which is picked up before birth. The "vibes" in womb of mother (hard to be a father in this process) will determine whether we are really wanted by mother, and this can determine our degree of security (or insecurity) in later life. You sound just like a psychologist now, Craig.
2. Your sense of WORTH will be determined by your immediate family in your early childhood. They instil in you an inner sense of well-being and of being loved. The role of mothers and fathers is critical in socialization process for development of your attitudes. Their expectations of you play a big part in your life script.
3. Your sense of COMPETENCE will also originate in family environment. That is why it is very important to praise and encourage children. If they are continually reprimanded, children will feel that they can't ever do things right. This then develops into child thinking, "I am a person of no worth who is no good at anything." This attitude grows over time and can be re-inforced in working environment. Even extremely competent business executives can feel insecure on a personal level and have difficulty in personal relationships.
DEVELOPING SUCCESS ATTITUDES
Golda Meier, an earlier Prime Minister of Israel, was once asked what made Israel such a success against might of united Arab armies. Israel, as you most probably know, is a small country set in middle of a desert, with virtually no natural resources and no wealth. Meier replied, "All that my country has is spirit of it's people. If people lost their spirit, not even might of United States of America could save us." A right attitude throughout country overcame all odds and insurmountable difficulties throughout it's turbulent history.
The top salesman for Bell telephones in America is a quadriplegic. Although he can only blink his eyes and open his mouth, his attitude and perseverance have made him num-ber one. (Stanford University after doing extensive research, said that all success is 87.5% as a result of your attitudes. Your skills, abilities and knowledge make up other 12.5%).
