THINK TALK: Success is a Matter of Attitude and Making the Right Choice

MATALAM, North Cotabato (MindaNews / 21 July) — It’s graduation time or many have already marched to the stage to receive their diplomas through face-to-face or virtual graduation ceremonies. While the general feeling is that the diploma is one’s ticket to success, earning a degree and earning an income may just be two different things altogether.

Some may find their choices come in handy and others may just find the options too many. Still others may be having difficult choices, and worse, they may just be left with no choices at all.

We are creatures of habit, both mentally and physically. We gradually lose our innate freedom to choose from an infinite field of possibilities. We lose the ability of novel responses to the multitude of changing circumstances, losing our rich capacity for creativity and spontaneity.

We need to be able to naturally increase our range of mental and physical movement. This can be achieved though awareness; the ability to know what one is doing and upon effective action in one’s life. Increased vitality is one result. Another is the capacity to live one’s inner dreams.

We need to restore this ability to learn in a fundamental way, to recover what we have excluded and restricted in ourselves. We need to find mental and physical movements which are flowing and balanced.

We become attached to thoughts. Beneath the thoughts are feelings. Beneath the feelings is energy that is either blocked or flowing. We just have to focus on the energy for it to start flowing again. If the energy is flowing, we become flexible and responsive to change.

I think we just have to think that, while the opportunities may be scarce, the possibilities are enormously abundant. We always harbor this bad habit of selective possibilities as in “there are only a few things I am able to do given my academic preparation or expertise”. Why can’t we just stay open and accommodating rather than restricting. I think if we can only be accommodating enough we develop the habit of not being afraid to try and try until we develop the obsession to succeed. We often leave success to external elements we have the less power to control without knowing that more often SUCCESS IS JUST A MATTER OF ATTITUDE AND MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE.“

It has been said that opportunity knocks only once. So, whenever it shows up, we tend to grab it as if there is no other opportunity that comes like it. But oftentimes, we forget that we are also creator of opportunities.

We are replete with stories of people who quit their jobs to create his/her own job and thus provide income opportunities for other people.

I knew of a bank employee who quit her job because she could hardly make both ends meet, so-to-speak, with the income she is receiving from the bank. The decision to quit her job came after she thought of challenging herself to write a book, which to her was a foolish idea that time, because she was never a writer in her entire life. But she did venture into it without an iota of doubt that she can make it. If not now, maybe someday somehow.

After going through some kind of seminars, trainings and workshops, she started to write her first book. To date, she has authored 15 books which are all top sellers! Yes, if you know her, I am referring to Miss Sha Nacino, that former lowly bank employee who is now a prolific author.

She has perfected, I should say, her online course on “How to write a book even if you’re not a writer”. Modesty aside, I was one of the participants to this online seminar/workshop.

Now, I am doing the finishing touches to my first book ever and I am very excited about it. I hope I got the right attitude and made the correct choice.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Maugan P. Mosaid holds a doctorate degree in rural development. He is a freelance writer, planning consultant, and teaches Statistics and Methods of Research in the graduate school. He can be contacted at mauganmosaid6@gmail.com.)