The past week I watched a program on TV about a man who is a quadriplegic after a motorcar accident. He only has very limited use of his arms and hands. Yet, in spite of his disability he, amongst many other things, still mows the lawn on their farm with a ride-on lawnmower and participates in archery.
What caught my eye though was the message printed on the back of his T-shirt;
The only disability in life is a bad attitude.
The late motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, used to talk about a bad attitude as “a severe case of stinkin’ thinkin’.”
Parking for the disabled
But what would we say about a perfectly healthy person who parks his or her motor vehicle in a parking bay reserved for disabled people. I think it has much to do with a bad attitude of “I couldn’t care less.”
Attitude makes all the difference
Business guru, Tom Peters, believes that “attitude is everything.” His motto is for business is “Employ for attitude and train for whatever.” Employers know that it is better to train an employee with a good attitude than to employ a trained worker with a bad attitude. The one with the bad attitude is like a thorn in the flesh that bothers you continually.
Coaches and consultants involved in character training will tell you that workers who were hired for their competence, often gets fired for character.
# Enemy called average
John Mason in An Enemy Called Average, tells a story about a man who joined a monastery in which the monks were allowed to speak only two words every seven years. After the first seven years had passed, the new initiate met with the abbot who asked him, “Well, what are your two words?”
“Food’s bad,” replied the man, who then went back to spend another seven-year period before once again meeting with his ecclesiastical superior.
“What are your two words now?” asked the clergyman.
Bed’s hard,” responded the man.
Seven years later – twenty-one years after his initial entry into the monastery – the man met with the abbot for the third and final time.
“And what are your two words this time?” he was asked.
“I quit.”
“Well I’m not surprised,” answered the disgusted cleric,
all you’ve done since you came here is complain!
Although this may be an extreme example, we all know people who complain about everything. Nothing is ever to their satisfaction and they are always unhappy.
Phi 2:5-7 teaches us to have the attitude that Jesus had; “Although he was in the form of God and equal with God, he did not take advantage of this equality. Instead, he emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant, by becoming like other humans, by having a human appearance.” In spite of this great sacrifice, we never read about Him complaining.
Gratitude
Instead of focussing on what we do not have, let us rather live with an attitude of gratitude. Some people say “You can’t have a good day with a bad attitude and you can’t have a bad day with a good attitude.” A bad attitude is like a flat tyre. If you don’t change it, you’ll never go anywhere.
Many of the complainers at work are often the people whose jobs do not match who they are. A Career Direct Assessment will help you discover your authentic self.
Also tune in to my radio program “Jy die Entrepreneur” Monday evenings at 20:00 and Saturdays 12:30 on Radio Namakwaland www.934fm.co.za. 
