"The greatest discovery of my generation is that human be- ings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." American psychologist, William James

Positive thoughts produce positive results, and negative thoughts produce negative results. We should try to under- stand how our thoughts arise and are influenced; they come into brain from what we hear, what we see, what we read and what we say to ourselves.

We get our thoughts/attitudes from media, those with whom we mix and through self-talk. Negative people are product of a negative environment. Self-talk is what we say to ourselves all day long. A number of sportsmen use this technique to stay positive. Sports psychologists also use it. (See my book on sports psychology called 'The Winning Mind'). Plug,plug !

Some people, on learning that they have cancer, have been known to go into shock and die. There have also been cases of people whom, expected to die far sooner by their doctors, have willed themselves to stay alive for an event like birth of a grandchild. Australian aborigines can subconsciously will themselves to die when bones point to them (known as voodoo). Or is it a hoodoo perhaps!

Optimism and pessimism are learned attitudinal behaviours and they can be relearned. We need to constantly monitor our inner navigational system, our attitudes to make our own course corrections. Negative thinking cripples mind, like polio cripples body. The cure is positive thinking- a positive outlook for opportunities does wonders for one's attitude. Many discoveries or luck come by chance. SEREN- DIPITY is faculty of making happy and unexpected dis- coveries by accident. Do try anything!

WHAT IS your outlook on life - happy or sad? Remember what you believe in normally happens. In other words, "YOU GET WHAT YOU EXPECT". This is known as self-fulfil- ling prophecies, so top golfers expect to hole their putts and are surprised when they don't.

Be ENTHUSIASTIC - walk, talk and act enthusiastically and you will find that it is contagious and that people will be at- tracted to you.

SUMMARY

1. Attitudes are more important than facts.

2. How you take it is more important than what happens.

3. Attitude acts as a selective filter affecting perception : we choose to see best or worst in any situation.

AS WE THINK, SO SHALL WE BECOME

We are not as we think we are, but as we think- quality of our thinking is more important than what we think about. How we think is our strangest secret.

If your goal is wealth, but your thinking is poverty-stricken, your attitude will cancel out achievement of your goal. If your goal is health and you choose healthy thoughts, you will realise your goal. NB: Attitudes beat facts every time.

"We need to be beneficiaries of our attitudes, not victims." "Our attitude determines our altitude".

Jailed for Equality

Emmeline Pankhurst believed that women should be treated and respected as equals to men. In 1903 she founded The Womens Social and Political Union. Mrs Pankhurst had to endure being arrested and jailed several times. While in jail, she often would go on hunger strikes to further her ideals.

Her big dream was finally realized in 1928 when women in Britain were granted full voting rights. A few weeks later, on June 14th, she died. Her dream however, lives on. While there is still much room for improvement, womens rights have come a long way, thanks in large part to Emmeline Pankhurst.

From a Nobody to a Nobel Prize Winner x2

Marie Curie overcame stigma of being a woman in a field (science) which was almost exclusively populated by men. Not only did Madame Curie excel at her chosen profession but she will always be remembered as person who discovered radiation and thus x-rays. She also enjoyed honor of being first women to receive a Nobel Prize in 1903, and again in 1911.

Failed Twice Before Belting Earth

In 1896 an engineer with Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit, built his own self-propelled, gasoline powered vehicle - Quadricycle. It wasn't first one, but it was one that inspired Henry Ford to dream about 'belting earth' with automobiles. He eventually left his job with Edison and attempted to establish an automobile manufacturing plant.

In 1903, after two previously unsuccessful attempts, he formed The Ford Motor company. In 1908, first Model T rolled off his assembly lines. By 1918, half of all cars in America were Model T's.

We could go on and on about ordinary people who would not accept mediocrity and instead will be written about for hundreds of years. I would love to talk with you about Andrew Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Albert Einstein, Amelia Erhart, Alexander Graham Bell, George Eastman and many, many others who acted on their dreams. The ideas that they brought forth are a big part of modern day life for us.

Each of them all started with a dream that consumed them and would not let go. Most of us at some time have big dreams, but allow them to dissipate. Circumstances and life in general tend to get in way.

You may not have vision of Thomas Edison, but your Dreams and goals can still impact people around you. Let's resolve to dream BIG dreams and to take big action towards their fulfillment.