Your Attitude, not Aptitude, Determines your Altitude

**Fenny West** Sun 31 Aug 2008, 8:39 am

Attitude it is often said: “It is your Attitude, not your Aptitude, determines your Altitude. There are many talented and gifted people who have failed to make any impact or have made very little impact compared to their endowment. On the other hand, there are others who are not so talented, perhaps all they have is one gift and they make an incredible impact in the society, lift many out of the gutters of life and leave a legacy that speaks long after they have gone.

Does it not concern you when this happens? Have you ever asked why? May be you are one of those who has many gifts and talents. You know of many things you can do and do well and effortlessly, but some how you seem not to have a breakthrough, an opening or any breakthrough seems short-lived; the rug is soon pulled from under your feet. Meanwhile those who are not as talented come and pass you by. And you muse, “This life is not fair. How come no one is seeing my gifting? Why I am left behind. Why am I not getting a nod from the boss? Why ma I ignored” It is as if your gift or talent is mocking you and sometimes you even wished you did not have it, because it is doing you no good and now becoming an embarrassment. You often want to hide it because you cannot explain why you’re where you are in spite of your adornment. May be you have even pointed the finger at God. “Why God , why? You are making a way for others and left me behind. Why have you given me all these gifts and made no room for me?

Search very well and you will see degree holders ending up as minicab drivers employed by someone who made Ds in their GCSE. Look very well and you will see highly qualified people employed by those who did not have half their qualification. And have you wondered why?

Attitude has a great part to play, whether we rise or fall in life. Attitude open doors and attitude close doors in our face. Attitude is like a lift, it can take you up or down depending on what you press. If you press the wrong attitude button, you’re bound for the base, the basement or the bin. Whereas if you press the right button, you’ll see yourself rising, flying higher and higher; sailing, cruising from altitude to altitude, from glory to glory.

Does it then mean that with a good attitude you will ever have it plain sailing? Definitely no! Life is not abed of roses. Life will throw stones at you regardless of who you are. You will encounter vicissitude of life, rich or poor, famous or infamous, celebrity or nonentity. God in his wisdom designed it so to be. We need challenges to raise us to higher heights and deeper depths. We need battles to show us how weak or strong we are. Our muscles need continual flexing to keep the body in shape. So too in life there will be obstacles, boulders, impediments barriers, walls erected on our pathway. It is your attitude in the face of the opposition- the Goliath -that determines whether you rise or fall, continue or bail out, cry ‘wolf!’ or greet your teeth, buckle your belt, dig your heels and say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It is amazing how some people who do not believe in Christ are making it by share determination, resilience and hard work while those in the kingdom who have the unsearchable riches of Christ, the exceedingly great and precious promises, the New Covenant established on better promises are going with a cup in their hands, bedraggled and beggarly.

It is like the Elder brother in the story of the prodigal son who moaned and groaned when he learned that his brother who left for the wild and wayward life had returned and the fatted cow was slaughtered for a welcome party.
He was furious that his father had not killed a goat for him who had been serving him all along – not knowing that everything in the house belonged to him and he could have helped himself any day any time. He assumed he knew, and did not care to find out what belonged to him and so he lost out. He was busy being religious and lost out on his relationship. He counted on his self-righteousness rather than the righteousness of God.

Your attitude determines your altitude!