Spiritual Reflection: The Power of Attitude by Mac Anderson

"If you aren't fired with with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm" -
Vince Lombardi

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This quote is reflective of my own spirituality and enforces the importance of having a positive attitude. The quote is about hoping for the best and striving towards achieving it. Growing up my mother always used to to tell me, "If at first you don't succeed, try again". I'm not too sure if she believed it herself, or if she was just trying to be motivational, however it has stayed with me throughout my life. Coming from a Greek background, I was always felt disadvantaged in relation to my peers. I felt as though I didn't belong, and as a result I was always involved in confrontation or getting into trouble. Those close to me such as my family, are the ones who ensured I stayed on track and didn't get caught up in bad things. Drawing on the virtue of Prudence, what St. Thomas Aquinas calls the "right reason in action" was pivotal to my staying true to them and to myself and God. At this point of my life as a young child near adolescence, I was very vulnerable to the outside world and the temptations and bad influences out there. To acting imprudently. Nevertheless, somewhere along the track I developed this strong urge, to succeed, to excel and in a greedy sense to surpass all those around me. I suppose, some people are addicted to money, others are addicted to women, others are addicted to action and some are addicted to drugs, I'm addicted to success. However, by directing my conduct in accordance with this virtue, I find my spirituality in my environment and those around me. However I mostly find it in my upbringing and my quest to succeed. I apply the right reason in action to overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.

This attitude and a burning desire from within, enables me to pick myself up when I fail and to succeed and improve. To me failure isn't an option, however I know its inevitable, so I hope for the best and always strive for it. I also stay prepared for the worst. As emphasised by Vince Lombardi if you don't have a positive attitude you'll be quick to fail and quick to accept failure. People will be quick to degrade you or exclude you which may further damage your attitude and self confidence. To me in a sense, society now a days is somewhat like a jungle, either you're the prey or the predator. The prey can be seen as vunerable people, who continously get "stepped on "and "eaten ", and the predator can be seen as those who see what they want and go out and get it. I think we all go through periods and phases when we are both the prey and the predator. So long as we keep a spiritual awareness regarding our actions, and reflect spiritually on these actions, we will act prudently and morally.

In my own journey, sometimes I contemplate whether I'll end up achieving my goals or if I'll end up climbing to the" top of the mountain". I wonder if all this hard work is worth it and if it will eventually pay off in the end. Nevertheless, this is only a temporary phase I go through, as soon as I reflect on my life, and all those around me and the people who have tried to bring me down my attitude changes. Suddenly I am ambitious, courageous and once again willing to persevere and work hard to achieve my desired future.

This is the power of attitude as reflected in the quote from Vince Lombardi as well as the quotes and in the videos below. We may not have control over what happens in the future, however I believe we can set foundations in place, in order to ensure a more positive one. With this said, I also believe one has to live in the moment as well, because if you are always too busy pondering on your future you never find the time to enjoy the present.

You must be enthusiastic in regards to life, no matter what set backs come your way, you have to have a positive attitude. Martin Seligman argues, A positive attitude that enables you to keep moving, keep looking forward and improving your self, your life and the world around you. A positive psychological outlook will ensure you lasting happiness. I think just about everyone goes through those times, where they feel like they've had enough or they feel like giving up. In times like this, your attitude and your inner spirituality can make all the difference.