Have you ever dreamed of living the good life? A life of riches, abundance, and wealth? The only way we can be truly wealthy is if we INVEST…..in our attitude! In Zig Ziglar’s book See You At The Top, he says: "Your attitude determines your altitude." To get to the top, and stay on top, we must develop an unsinkable attitude.

The following are two rules for investing in your most important asset: your attitude.

Rule #1: Live your dreams, not your fears.

Les Brown, the famous motivational speaker says: "Most people are not living their dreams; they’re living their fears." We all encounter fear at some point in our lives: fear of losing our money, our job, our spouse, our security, our peace of mind.

For years, my wife had a dream of going to college, and one day walking across the stage with her classmates to receive her diploma. Despite a challenging childhood, she never lost sight of her vision. In high school, many people tried to talk her out of her dream. They'd say things like, "I really don't think you're college material" or "Have you ever thought about a trade school?" Instead of listening to the naysayers and the critics, she focused on her dream. She was accepted to the college of her choice!

After five long years of study, she was finally ready to dawn her cap and gown, and graduate with her classmates. Just three days before graduation, filled with excitement and anticipation, she received a phone call that NO student wants to receive.....from the Registrar’s Office.

"I’m sorry to inform you, but you will not be able to participate in commencement activities this Saturday. According to our records, your GPA is just short of the minimum requirement for graduation. You’ll need to discuss this with your advisor." "Umm...OK...Thank you," was all she could mutter.

Instead of feeling sorry for herself and giving in to her fear, she was more determined than ever to graduate. She took two classes that summer and qualified for graduation. One September morning, the postman arrived with an unusually LARGE envelope, which contained her diploma. A week later, she accepted a position as an Assistant Teacher at the Ivymount School, where she continues to teach to this day.

By focusing on her dream, instead of dwelling on her fears, she was able to succeed, and live her dream!

Rule #2: Wrap a silver lining around every cloud.

A good friend and former co-worker of mine named Pam had an especially close relationship with her Dad. Even as a married adult with two children, she always made it a priority to spend quality time with her father. One Halloween night, things would change! Her dad suffered a heart attack and died instantly.

Pam felt an emptiness unlike anything she’d ever felt before – a dark cloud had passed over her life. Pam spent the next couple of months grieving the loss of her Dad. On Christmas morning, less than two months after losing her father, Pam was sitting on the front stairs of her house, while her brother checked the mailbox. He pulled out a large envelope and handed it to her.

Inside the envelope was a check from her Dad, with the money he left her in his will. Pam immediately burst into tears. She knew this was a sign from God that even though her dad was gone, he was still watching out for her, gently telling her that even though he was gone, everything was going to be okay.

Then, something suddenly occurred to her; mail is not delivered on Christmas Day! NO ONE GETS MAIL ON CHRISTMAS! How was this possible? Then, she realized, "It’s a Dad thing!" Since that unforgettable day, Pam has learned to accept the physical loss of her Dad, and has wrapped a silver lining around that dark cloud in her life.

When we apply these two rules to our lives – living our dreams instead of dwelling on our fears, and wrapping a silver lining around every cloud, we make a decision that will change our lives -- a decision to invest in our attitude!

Ed. Note:
Permission is granted to reprint this material, which is copyrighted, provided that the following by-line is included: Peter Colwell, author, Spell SUCCESS in Your Life (Dreams Unlimited Press, 2002).

Peter Colwell