Attitude is how you react to what happens to you or what others do to you. A positive attitude helps you look at happenings to you or actions against you as a glass half full. A bad attitude will make you ask so many questions including why me? Why do people hate me? Why does the world always conspire against me?
I love to tell the story of my rejection to sit for a Bailing Clerk Interview at BAT Uganda sometime in 1999. I was in senior six vacations and that job was my hope to progress to University. Throughout the application process, I saw myself winning at job interviews. After travelling over 20 kilometres from the village, Munteme, to Hoima Town, I arrived just as the gate was being closed and only people who had entered were to be interviewed.
I could not accept it.
I tried to beg the security guard, who stuck to his guns and refused to let me in. I had to think quickly to visit the RDC office, who had sometimes visited our school and told us, “to feel free to visit his office in case of anything.” Now that I had a serious thing, I needed help, I ran to his office. When you decide to do something, there is a way luck comes your way. It did. I found the RDC in the office. He accepted to see me. And made a call to the manager at BAT, who asked the security guard to allow me to enter for interviews. Just like that. And I ended impressing the interviewers that I was offered a better position. That job became one of my career’s turning points, as I made enough money to afford a trip to Kampala for the first time!
If you do not pursue the opportunity, it will slip through. And attitude makes the difference between giving up and staying to do all you can to complete what you start. To have a clear mind to see opportunities instead of complaining about problems. To ask for help, instead of rumour-mongering and wasting time speaking to folks who cannot improve your condition.
But attitude alone may not be enough. Integrity is a game-changer. Do you do the right thing even when you think no one is watching? If yes, you have integrity. If you pretend to do the right thing only when you think someone is watching or will find out, you are low on integrity.
Experts say, rank Integrity number one, followed by attitude on the list of skills, knowledge, and hard work. If your integrity is high, you have higher chances of attaining success. Integrity is a person who is beyond reproach. Someone forthright and clear. A person who is guided by specific values, and principles that guide his or her behaviour.
Are you a person of high integrity?
To be continued.
Copyright Mustapha B Mugisa, 2020. All rights reserved.
