Attitude = Altitude

Victor Serebriakoff was born in the slums of East London. It was obvious that Victor was different than most children. While other kids were playing, he spent most of his time studying and asking questions at every chance. Even though he was a good student, Victor was ridiculed and labeled a dunce by the other kids because of his inquisitive nature. “I was chased home from school every day because I was the kid who put his hand up at every question,” he recalled. Circumstances finally forced Victor, at the age of sixteen, to drop out of school. For the next fifteen years, he bounced from one small job to another, growing more and more convinced that the kids were right.

One day Victor went through a psychological evaluation for prospective military officers. Included was an IQ test. This test would change his life forever. The results were astonishing. Victor had an IQ of 161! He was well beyond the minimum qualifications to be classified a genius.

Victor soon realized that the inquisitive nature that earned him the label “dunce” was not a curse, but a blessing of higher intelligence. From that day forward, Victor’s picture of himself began to change as his life was illuminated with new knowledge of his potential. He no longer saw himself as a dunce, but as a genius. What changed? Did Victor change? No. He was still the same person. The only thing that changed was his ability to see things differently. By changing Victor’s data input, his attitude about life changed. Victor Serebriakoff went on to author numerous books. He became a renowned inventor and later in life served as the Chairman of “Mensa International,” a society for innovators and individuals with exceptional IQs.

In the study of aviation the word attitude means: the positioning of an aircraft with respect to the relationship between its axes and the horizon or focal point. In other words, if the nose of the aircraft is above the horizon, it is said to have an “ascending” or positive attitude. If the nose of the aircraft is pointed below horizon, it is said to have a “descending” or negative attitude. The attitude of the aircraft determines the altitude.

You are destined for greatness. Like a well-equipped and manufactured aircraft, God has created you to soar above mediocrity and become His carrier of hope to the world around you. How well you do this will be determined primarily by your attitude in life. It has been said that a positive attitude won’t get you everywhere but it will take you much farther than a negative attitude.

(This text has been taken from my book: Mission Possible: Unleashing Your Full Potential To order, click here)