With a good attitude, all things are possible.

With a good attitude, all things are possible.

In reality, the given statement does not apply most of the time. A good attitude has to work hand in hand with skills, knowledge and time management to ensure a high level of success. Apart from the stated internal factors, there are other factors that affect successes in our life which cannot be controlled. These include external factors, such as influences from family and friends and the element of chance.

A good attitude is an important factor for success as with a positive mindset comes characteristics such as determination and perseverance. This helps an individual to strive to overcome any setbacks or hurdles placed before him. This also means that if one has failed, he acknowledges his shortcomings and strives to become better. In the sports arena, athletes who have failed but have a good attitude train harder and longer, placing all their energy in becoming better so as to achieve their goals. In the working world, many businessmen who hold on to a good attitude treat their setbacks as learning experiences. Learning from these failures, they re-enter the market and persevere until they succeed. For example, it took Alexander Graham Bell four years to invent the telephone, working tirelessly with Thomas Watson, a mechanic, experimenting ways for transmitting speech electrically. With each failure, he learned a little more. Each failure pushed him to his goal. His did not have a defeatist attitude. Rather, he constantly corrected and improved, never losing sight of his goal. With this 'never say die' attitude, we are "blessed" with the telephone.

Aptitude is also an important factor for success. Without the necessary skills, abilities and knowledge, it may be impossible to achieve one's goals. For example, a student who has a good attitude but lacks the ability to conceptualise may have great difficulty in becoming a "high flyer". Likewise, a person with a good attitude towards swimming but lacks the stamina would surely not emerge as the champion if he joins a long distance swimming event in a swimming competition. Knowledge, skills and overall abilities have to be acquired in the process if one wants to get the best possible result.

Time management is equally important for one who wants to achieve success. As the saying goes, "No one plans to fail." They did not succeed because they failed to plan or keep to their plan. When everything is planned out and kept to, whatever that is done would be much more systematic and organised. To be successful in studies, students are often told to plan their revision and study schedule. They are also taught to prioritise their time properly, as managing their time is critical. An imbalance would pose a hurdle to them, making it harder to attain success.

As mentioned earlier, there are also external factors that affect successes in our life, the factors that contribute to the impossibility of success at times despite having a good attitude. Firstly, our family and friends and the people around us that we trust affect our level of success and the ability to attain it. This group of people basically influences us in terms of decision-making, our way of thinking, and the amount of support given, either as moral support or financial support. They may convince you into making a certain choice, ensuring you that success is certain. While at times good advice is given and success is achieved, there are also times when one deviates from his or her path to success and fails because of them. In terms of support from family and friends, receiving no support from them makes the road to success somewhat longer and tiring, if not disheartening. With their support and approval, one would know that even if he does fail, he has his friends and family behind him pushing and cheering him on.

The second external factor is the environment an individual is in. If the conditions faced by the individual are not conducive, he would find much difficulty in attaining success. For example, an entrepreneur with a brilliant idea or concept situated in a country facing economic downturn and recession may not be able to "make it big" due to the circumstances he is in. Another example would be the athletes sent by Laos for the SEA games held in the early 90s. It is understandable that they were at the bottom of the table as the people there live in poverty and there is internal strife at the point in time. It would be unlikely that the training the athletes there have is comparable with the training received by the athletes from the other counties in South East Asia. Their environment and circumstances pose a problem to their achievement of success.

Lastly, there is always the element of chance. Some people become successful because an opportunity is open to them at the right place at the right time. For example, a recording studio discovered Elvis Presley when he was recording a song as a birthday present for his mother. Some may miss the chance of becoming successful as an opportunity passed them by or an accident took place, taking away the possibility of becoming successful. For example, an Olympic athlete in a running event may lose his footing, trip or fall during his event accidentally, taking away the possibility of winning a medal.

In conclusion, I believe that while a good attitude is very important to achieving a high level of success, there are other contributing factors, namely one's aptitude, influences from friends and family, and the element of chance, which are also essential.