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Negativity. BLOCK IT OUT. Don't let it enter your thought process. Like any career field, aviation (at my level as a student) has its share of people who would rather focus on negativity than actually apply themselves one hundred percent and see what the outcome is. You will know these people if you are aware of them, and I recommend that you are. These are the people who could have a million dollar opportunity in front of them and rather than focusing on the outcome they focus on what they have to put in. These people say "it's to hard" or "it takes to long" etc. Do yourself a favor, focus on the reward and the outcome. If you are overly concerned with what it will take to get there, the reward and achievement will never be enough. I know these people because unfortunately I was one of them for the majority of my twenties.
Being consumed with negativity takes the flavor out of life. I can remember being a twenty three year old Airmen First Class in the Air Force on deployment to Kuwait for the build up leading to the invasion of Iraq. In my six months there, my unit did some amazing things. We airlifted more cargo than the Berlin Airlift (first time that record had been broken), survived numerous scud attacks, lived in chem-gear, transported captured surplus munitions including sea born mines, and transported a lot of captured bad guys. Looking back on it, it was a pretty amazing thing to go through but unfortunately I was young at the time and more focused on when are we going to go home, or it's to hot, or I don't want to die here etc. I only wish I could go back and focus on the bigger picture, and make the best out of it. That deployment would have been a lot better if I were then, mentally where I am now.
With that said, during this time of adventure and learning my thought process is significantly different than it has ever been. No longer do I let the negative take over. It will still try to work it's way in but I find ways around it now. For instance, on a hot day... rather than "it's to hot for this crap" I look at the performance degradation of the aircraft and how the density altitude will be affected. I look at it as an opportunity to sharpen my flying skills. Understanding that if ever there was a condition where I would sink through the bottom of an autorotation, today is it and I had more reason than normal to pull it together. Whats better... worrying about how things inside your flight suit have turned into a swamp, or focusing on your ability as a pilot and improving on those abilities. I chose the latter.
The next thing I'm going to touch on, I wont spend many words on....frankly because people with this attitude are not worth the effort. Yes, I am talking about "that guy". This industry does not need another Tom Cruise. If you are that guy, you are not that cool and yes people are just to polite to tell you. These guys, along with their narcissism bring danger. Usually brought forward by sever insecurities, this attitude will reflect in their flying. I wont get much further into it, but it is a big deal. So much so, attention to this (hazardous) attitude has been mandated by the FAA and it sure enough showed up on my written exam. Aside from the social abnormalities, these people are not usually liked in the work place if they manage to slip through the hiring process and even get picked up at all. To sum it up, an inflated sense of self worth and ability in this career field will severely limit your success. Don't be this guy.
I feel I'm getting a bit long winded here so I will wrap up with this one thing. Never stop learning. I've recently decided to take an opportunity that my flight school has offered with a turbine transition integrated into my commercial rating. Doing this is going to make for a busier semester (17 units), but it is going to do at least two things for me. For starters, it will give me some turbine helicopter time and secondly, it gives me a heads up on hire ability. Think about it this way...right now flying the turbine is an option for students but if you look at it further and think down the road a bit... there is a chance that eventually the school will need instructors for that turbine helicopter. Who looks more marketable for that job... the guy who has hours in that type or the guy who passed on it. And if that does not play into the hiring process, what did I lose? Nothing... at the very least, I have turbine helicopter hours in my log book. That can never be a bad thing.
In addition to finishing my helicopter ratings up through CFII, I plan to get my fixed wing add on through commercial. I have already heard an ear full from class mates how it would be a waste of time etc etc. A furtherance of education and ability can NEVER be a negative. I may not use it in the first few years of my career, but I will use it. Bottom line here, the reward of achievement will always be worth it.
Well that's it for me. It's 1am, and I think I am finally starting to wind down. I'll just leave you with this. Sucess starts in your mind. Growing up, my father always told me I could do whatever it was that i put my mind to. At 31 years old, I finally believe him and I will be sucessful. It may not look the way I thought it would, or the way someone else expects it to look, but it'll happen.
