You go to school to learn your ABCs and 123s. But school is more than just learning the alphabet and numbers. School is a place where you can learn very important skills, perspectives, and knowledge. It’s a place where it’s ok to make mistakes and to try again. It’s a place where you can see your potential and gain experience and wisdom to fulfill it.
One important thing I teach my students is the ABCD of Life. These are fundamental in helping one fulfill their potential. They are Attitude, Behaviour, Character, and Destiny.
Your attitude is the how you view and think about things in life. It’s is the foundation. One’s attitude affects all other areas. If one has a good attitude, then it can carry them through even the toughest of times. If one has a bad attitude, then it will leave the person stuck to where they are or even worse, regress.
Your attitude affects your behaviour. If you have a good attitude your behaviour will be positive and will be geared towards actions that benefit yourself and others. For instance, you will put in the extra effort, you will help out others, and you will strive to do your best. However, if your attitude is bad, you will seek to disrupt those around you, destroy the things around you, and ultimately, destroy yourself.
How you behave becomes your character. Your behaviour will lead you to do actions. If you do an action enough times, you will be labeled for that action and that becomes a part of your character. Imagine a person that never hands in work on time. Eventually, that person will be known as a person that can’t get things done on time and is unreliable which will be a part of their character. Think of a person that is the opposite. The person always hands in work on time, you would say that the person is reliable and gets things done on time.
Your character determines your destiny. What you already are, you will continue to be. Are you surprised when a person with good character becomes successful? Are you surprised when something unfortunate happens to someone with a shady character? Of course not. You can see where they were heading based on their character!
Don’t like where you’re destined to be? Then change it. To change your destiny, you have to change your character. To change your character, you have to change your behaviour. To change your behaviour, you have to change your attitude.
From here on out, whatever happens and where ever you end up in life , it all begins with your attitude now.