Attitude of the Elite

Attitude is everything. We have all heard it before, but it has become a cliche, a phrase uttered by middle management that has come to mean nothing in today's world. Yet attitude does matter, and no one truly wishes to be mediocre. The goal of everyone is to be the best they can be, deep inside we all know it, and as such we yearn to be the elite, the best of the best. What does this word mean though? What is it to be an elite?

Oxford defines elite as a group of people regarded as the best in a particular society or organization. However this doesn't seem to quite cover all that the word means. Colonel Richard Winters (USA ret.) once said "any elite group can not be named such by others, it is something they believe in themselves. No other person or group of persons can bestow this title on any man". Colonel Winters new a thing or two about being elite. He commanded a company of elite paratroopers from D Day until VE day during world war two, and was awarded the silver star and distinguished service medal for courage under fire.

Still being elite is more than just saying you are. It is an attitude, and like Colonel Winters, can only truly be attained by being tested. When others say it can't be done, do you accept their word? or do you find a way to do it anyway? As an attitude being elite means that you have pride in yourself and your work, that good enough; isn't. Finding new and different ways to be better is part of the attitude that is a part of being elite, and it is this attitude that sets you above the competition.

In life competion is everywhere and seemingly limitless. What makes you better than them? We all know that we all use the same techniques, everyone has access to the same tools, potentially the same training, hire from the same work pool. So what is it then that makes you better? In the end the only thing that gives you an edge over the competition is our attitude, the attitude of the elite.

This attitude effects everything we do everyday. To an elite person success isn't win or lose, it's the result that comes when the solution is found, and an elite person always keeps searching for that solution. To an elite person, obstacles are meant to be overcome and to be learned from. To provide an opportunity to look at a thing in a different way, and to find a different solution. This is what sets us apart from the competition, as elite people we do not stop looking for the solution, and because we do not stop looking eventually we find it.

An elite person has pride in his work, his co workers, and most importantly in himself. This pride stems from the knowledge that what he does is extraordinary, that most do not rise to his level, and that he has chosen the path less traveled. Being an elite is a choice, and because the choice is hard, like all hard things, makes the choice worth making.

Being an elite is it's own reward, pride, strength of character, and the knowledge of what you are push an elite to go farther then the rest of the pack. So ask yourself today, am I living up to being an elite? Today what am I going to do that sets me apart from our competitors? What can I do to succeed today that I haven't done before? If you can answer these questions just once everyday, you have earned the right to be called an elite.