Aptitude or Attitude

A reader wrote to ask whether I agreed with the following quote...

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.
- Zig Ziglar

My answer...

What you accomplish in life is a function of BOTH what God gave you (aptitude, place of birth, etc.)
AND what you do with your gifts (your attitude, etc.).

BUT, you can't change what you have been given,
while you CAN CONTROL your attitude: being positive, working hard, etc.

SO your attitude does control your altitude in the sense that it is the only variable that you have the ability to change.

Someone born with an IQ of 56 isn't going to become a great nuclear physicist - they just aren't.
But with a positive attitude, they can live a great life, being happy and inspiring happiness in others.

May the world be kind to you, and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie