A few homilies (some of them my own
)
An amateur pilot is surprised when something goes wrong; A professional pilot is surprised when everything works right.
Prepare for the worst outcome(s). Enjoy when the best occurs anyway.
No company will thank you for having an accident while trying to save them money.
A professional pilot can nearly always find a way to get the job done legally *and* safely - albeit with some modifications to the original task - using his/her knowledge & experience. An unprofessional pilot is either unaware or uncaring about the rules & good practice s/he breaks to ensure the job is done.