How are money and attitude linked together? There are many examples that we have all seen of people who are wildly successful who don't have the greatest attitude. The word attitude comes from the Latin word "aptitudo".

Aptitudo means "fitness". Think about the attitude of fitness. It basically means I'm ready, I've got something going on, I've done something, I've practiced, I've worked at it, I'm in shape now, or getting in better shape now.

Money doesn't come by accident. Think about it for a moment, let's say you wanted to run a marathon. 26.4 miles is a long way to go. You may want to practice just a little before you head off on your marathon. So you've got to be fit. You've got to be ready. You also have to have the right attitude in order to pull it off.

What if you wanted to be a great chef? Do you think it might make a difference if you had great ingredients to work with? Not only great ingredients, but also great recipes? Do you think that might make a difference? Certainly it would.

What about if you wanted to take a math test? Do you think it might be helpful to study and have a positive attitude? How many people have you known, maybe you were even one of them, who choked on a test? We all know what that means. You go in to take a test and your mind just blanks. How come? Most of the time, the positive or negative attitude of the person taking the test is a giant piece of how well they do.

I worked with a real estate agent years ago in Hawaii who wanted to get her broker's license. She had taken the broker's test five times and failed it each time. She knew the material. She said, "I can do this in my sleep! Ask me a question! I know it all!" I didn't need to. I made her a hypnosis tape. I relaxed her, she listened to it, she built a positive belief she could take the test and succeed easily. She took the test about 30 days later with no more study, and got a 92%! Why? It was her positive attitude. It prevailed.

What if you want to make more money? Do you think your positive or negative belief system about money and the lack of it may affect your ability to make and keep money? Do you believe a positive attitude about your possibilities and who you are can make a difference? Maybe you could learn new things that can help you make a difference. Do you think that shift in attitude might help just a little? Of course it would. Persistence, positive focus, the right attitude, makes all the difference in the world.

Here's a story I heard years ago about Sylvester Stallone. He had written the movie "Rocky". He took it around to many different film companies and producers, trying to market it. He got turned down over and over and over.

There was even one movie studio that said, "Well, we'll take the movie but you can't act in it. We don't want you. We want somebody else. The movie might make it but you can't be part of it. Sorry, we'll just buy it from you."

He refused. Finally he found some backers. Do you think the movie "Rocky" was successful, and each of the many sequels thereafter? The guy had an attitude. He was not going to quit. He was not going to give up. He knew there was value there.

Was Rocky the best movie that had ever been written? Not even close, but it had potential and he could see the vision. He had the right attitude and he moved forward. Because of that do you think money came to him? When it finally came, it came in by the truckload!

So the correct attitude about money, the correct attitude about working hard to make things go the way you want â€" at work, in your home life, wherever â€" all those play together. Money and attitude are inextricably linked. Having an appropriate attitude can transform your life and absolutely make your life better than you've ever dreamed possible.

You can have great relationships. You can have wealth. You can be healthy and have vibrant, radiant energy. It's all up to you. But you've got to have the right attitude going in. Positive thinking and positive focus are necessary. Delete the negatives. Get rid of the negative thinking, the negative attitude, because they will hold you up. Focus on where you want to go. Get your attitude correct and you can make your life whatever you want it to be.

The Best of Success to You!