Mind of a Pilot
While pilots come from all walks of life and have a myriad of reasons for wanting to do what we do, I would hope there is something that could be described as the mind of a pilot in all of us. For me that would be about pride in flying safely and accurately while enjoying myself. Flying safely is about a mindset that flight safety starts at that first lesson and then never stops. It is about continuous learning, whether that be from talking to instructors and other pilots in the club/school, keeping up to date with regulations (even if they are unfathomable sometimes!), learning from other's mistakes, knowing one's own limits and having a plan for when you reach them, knowing the aircraft's limits, etc, etc, etc. Flying accurately is about not getting on the slippery slope of accepting 'close enough for government work' as we used to joke in a past life. Fly the heights/altitudes/levels and headings accurately and have pride in doing so. If you're using a radio, know the correct phraseology and be succinct. And in all of this, enjoy the experience and have fun doing it.
We all come from different backgrounds but I would sincerely hope that we all have the mindset of a pilot. Of course, every time I fly my hopes are dashed a little by both my own performance and that of others but it doesn't stop me hoping!