Let me start by quoting the late Hilary Hinton Ziglar, the American Author, Salesman and Motivational who said, “You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to, prepare to win and expect to win”.

Whether in a relationship, in sports or in business, your decisions will be anchored by your attitude. Your attitude towards a challenge or an opportunity makes  great difference in the overall outcome.

Zig also once said"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude”

My dear friends and rainmaking partners, come with me for a moment on a very interesting and revelatory journey and I couldn't help sharing it with you - my rainmaking journey partner.

Firstly these quotes are not a set a mantras to recite but a guide to doing great things. They are true in every sense because juxtaposed with the lives of people, collective attitudes of sports teams, business brands and nations, it is evident that attitude makes most things possible.

Attitude is functional and therefore every rainmaker or persons seeking to make great impact on the lives in their generation and beyond must deliberately develop and maintain the kind of attitude that makes winning possible.

Having a desire, passion or skill for something doesn't guarantee a win and that is a fact we all must live with. Attitude makes a lot of difference and dare I say that after all is said and done attitude is everything.

Let’s consider amongst other things five winning attitudes that have stuck with me and can be traced in the lives of the greatest people and nations of the earth.

1. THE ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE - An attitude says, I am not there yet but I am glad I have made some progress. Be grateful that you have life and a chance to make history no matter your current situation. Gratitude releases in you hope to face tomorrow. It is only when we have hope that we are able to take the opportunities that come our way. Be grateful for the talents you have, the people you meet - because they are key ingredients that affect what you become. Remaining positive is critical to winning in life and expressing gratitude as a way of life helps the process along.

2. THE ATTITUDE OF RESILIENCE - Be resilient. Be strong. Never give up. Many people give up just when they were about to win. The road to success is not easy but the fact that a road exists, endorses that it is not impossible to reach it. The distance between two points may be short but the journey longer. It is no different in life - we will face setbacks, disappointments, momentary bouts of failure but maintaining an attitude of constantly pushing forward, forever rising after a fall helps us do more with our lives. To be resilient means you must be able to take beating and keep on ticking. Bouncing back from disappointment is key to winning. Outlasting the challenge will bring you success.

3. THE ATTITUDE OF LEARNING - Learning is good. Learning helps you develop. If life is a school then everyday is a lesson. Embrace each day with a desire to learn something new and you will be amazed, how much better you’ll become with each passing day. Our lives are filled with teachable moments, some of which may not be pleasant but nonetheless hold valuable nuggets of wisdom for our development. The more you learn the better you get at building relationships, running your business, perfecting your golf swing - the more you learn the more you win. Take the events of your life as learning steps towards your desired place in life. Learn from the good days and the not so good days. They all add up in the end.

4.THE ATTITUDE OF CURIOSITY - In my opinion curiosity is a good thing. Forming the deliberate habit of enquiring from your environment will open possibilities for achievement. Rudyard Kipling said “I have seven soldiers in serving men, they taught me everything are I know. Their names are WHAT and WHY and WHEN, WHICH, HOW, WHERE and  WHO”. Being curious about your environment will help you achieve more by inspiring greater levels of creativity. You can know a lot about a place, practice and people by sending out your very own seven soldiers.

5. THE ATTITUDE OF SERVICE  - Always be ready to be useful to someone. Live for yourself and you’ll live in vain but when you live for others, you’ll live again. When you position yourself to serve the world, the world rewards you. Service exposes you to opportunities for learning and honing your skills. The mind of a servant will help you do things that inures to the benefit of many and not yours only.

Providing solutions for others is a leadership quality which is borne out of service. In effect the attitude of service can help you win always.

Go Forward! Make Rain!

Shalom

I am Nhyira Addo, The Rainmaker