Success at Work- A disabling versus an an enabling attitude?
This blog will inspire you to work around, rather than be limited by situations.
A situation ‘is’. Whether we label it as a problem, a challenge, a difficulty or a pleasure. It just ‘is’. It’s a matter of how we choose to see it. And our perception determines our response.
This blog was actually inspired by the Paralympics 2012. Watching this, I came to realise that to all intents and purposes, disability is in the mind; it comes down to whether you adopt a disabling or enabling attitude. Do you see your situation as one that will stop you achieving your work goals and aspiring higher? Or do you see yourself as someone that will succeed anyway?
In the Paralympics, we saw olympians who were disabled in various ways; an arm or leg that is shorter or with less mobility than the other, a missing limb or limbs. Or a brain that doesn’t coordinate movement as well. Or poor sight, etc. In the world of work, apart from the above, we have people who are dyslexic, but disability as mentioned above can come in the form of a disabling attitude.
This is an attitude which holds you back; one which tells you that you are not good enough, that you can’t do it. This is an attitude that regularly highlights to you all that stands in the way of you achieving your goals in work as well as in life. Such an attitude is a stress-inducing one.
It is how we respond to the situations we face in life that either makes the situation a problem/ challenge/ a difficulty or a pleasure. An enabling attitude is one that motivates and encourages us to work towards finding a solution. This attitude takes the perspective of: ‘I find myself in this situation; how do I deal with it?’ ‘How’ is the key word. Asking this question gets the mind engaged to creatively solve a puzzle. You are then actively doing something about it- working towards overcoming a situation that stands in the way of your goals. You are positioning yourself for success. This is such a crucial skill in the workplace. This kind of attitude unlocks a world of possibilities.
Let’s consider the alternative; a disabling attitude. This says: ‘I am beaten before I’ve begun’, it is an attitude that is filled with self-doubt which stands in the way of a successful outcome. This leads to feelings such as getting depressed, upset or angry about the situation; the strain and pressure these feelings can generate – fester and multiply with no where to go. This does not change the situation- in fact you just ‘position’ yourself for misery and such people often feel ‘stuck’ in the workplace and in life. You remain in the same situation- just increasingly more deflated. I even feel lethargic after having written this paragraph.
So perception is the key to success. How do you see your life and work- and what CAN you achieve? Want to know how? Attend the next self-leadership training.
I love to hear your comments about this. How do you maintain an enabling attitude? Post your comments!!
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/7815007@N07/15354317695″>Quotation: “Success is about the growth mindset”</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>(license)</a>
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/9465588@N05/3302103347″>Flying bird</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>(license)</a>