The Millionaire Mentality® is a state of mind that embraces a positive attitude, desire and commitment, and the courage and persistency to succeed.

The Millionaire Mentality® emphasizes that the making of money should not be your primary goal in life. Money or financial success will not buy happiness. It may, however, allow you the opportunity to do things that will bring you happiness and contentment, if you so choose.

You have to work for something that you believe in, something that you love, and success will follow. The Bible states "cast thy bread upon the waters and it will be returned to you seven fold." When you do good (because it is the right thing to do) you'll find peace in your heart, an uplifting spirit and a Millionaire Mentality®.

It has often been said that an individual works for fun or for profit. The truly happy individual works at something he genuinely enjoys. He has fun working and he makes a profit at it. A good example is the professional athlete who is paid to play sports. Getting paid for doing something you really enjoy would be the best. So, what is the answer?

The first step is to define your goal or objective. What would you really like to do if you could. Once you define your goal or objective, devote all your energy to it. You'll find that working will no longer be dull, boring or tedious, rather, it will be challenging, exciting and fun.

Assume you realize your goal. What makes a professional athlete a star commanding everyone's attention?

The difference between mediocrity and stardom can be as little as 10%. For example, what is the difference between hitting 273 and 300. That's right, only 10%. Always try to be 10% better, and you'll become a star!

Points to remember:

Don't allow making money to become your primary goal or purpose in life.
Define (or re-define) your goals or objectives
Work at something you genuinely enjoy
Try to be ten percent better at whatever you do.
If you do these things, you'll be well on your way to a Millionaire Mentality®.

ATTITUDE
When we get dressed in the morning we put on our attitude.

Don't be a complainer. Let’s be optimistic, enthusiastic, respectful and alive. Always try to focus on the positive and disregard the negative. Although some negative things are beyond our control, we must see them for what they are and realize that it's our own interpretation that determines whether we react in a positive or negative manner. For example, bad news sells newspapers. You have to be very selective on what you read and the television you watch. Too much of today’s news emphasizes the unusual, the bizarre and the negative.

Develop good habits. Have you ever been bitten by an elephant? How about a mosquito? It's always the little things that make a difference. Good habits make and support our character. We must begin by replacing negative thinking with positive thinking and bad habits with good habits.

LOVE
Love, like diamonds, is forever. Fall in love with people, not with things. The greatest love is to be loved by the one who you love. Love comes from the heart, which is the center of the body.

Your character is a reflection of your thoughts and the love you give to others. Be thankful for all you possess and share that thankfulness with others. Remember, those who truly love will be successful.

"What we see depends mainly on what we look for."

HEALTH
A life in balance on both a spiritual and physical level and moderation in all that you do will serve you well. Take care of your health and don't depend on others to do it for you. The seven F’s of good fortune and balance are:

Food – Try a breakfast of fresh fruit.
Fitness – Exercise at least 3 times a week.
Finance – Develop the investment habit.
Family – Be supportive of parents and children.
Friends – Faithful companionship is a treasure.
Fairness – Show respect and courtesy to others.
Faith – Provides strength & courage in time of need.
PAIN
Pain or discomfort is the major motivating force for change. It's necessary to confront those situations or individuals that cause you pain. Nothing will change until you want to change yourself.

List in the space below the things that cause you pain and the actions you must take to eliminate the pain. Once you take action, you'll find that the causes of your pain will be under your control.

Examples:
#1 Pain in my life:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
The Action I must take to overcome: ______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
#2 Pain in my life:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
The Action I must take to overcome: ______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
#3 Pain in my life: ______________________________________________
______________________________________________
The Action I must take to overcome: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

We must search within ourselves to reduce the pain. Dig deep to discover your inner strength.

THINKING RICH
What a wonderful sounding word. If you think rich, then you'll be rich. If you think success, you'll become successful. Along with thinking rich you should think power. Your power is your ability to control your mind and body. Your every action should command the attention of the world. Become a person of action instead of reacting to the comments and actions of others.

Never tell people how smart you are. Don't brag about your accomplishments or conquests.

Never say anything bad about anyone. If you do it will usually be repeated and used against you at some point in time.

Always leave something for the other guy. Don't be a one-way street. One hand washes the other while both hands cover your face.

Always strive to be above average or ten percent better. Don't forget that average is where the best of the worst meets the worst of the best. Become a cut above the extraordinary. Write articles and news releases about yourself.

Find the time to reward yourself. After a job well done, who knows better than you how hard you've worked. Find the time to give yourself a special lunch or dinner, a personal gift or some other form of special recognition.

Share your good fortune with others.

DESIRE AND COMMITMENT
Your desire should be the dominant force governing your actions and behavior. Your burning desire or passion will show through and be contagious to others. You must be committed to your desires and be willing to do what it takes to make them happen. If you find that nothing is happening, then you must make something happen yourself.

Develop a plan of association. Many times it's difficult to do things on your own. People will go out of their way to help you if they think that you're sincere. Pick your most successful friends, clients or associates and spend more time with them. These individuals will serve as your role models. If you eat and drink with the finest, you'll wake up with fond memories instead of a nasty hangover.

It's very important to have a circle of friends and advisors who you can depend on. If you're not a member of a circle, you should create one for yourself. Advisors or mentors can offer invaluable help. An advisor should be trustworthy, sincere and show genuine concern. This includes the timely return of telephone calls and overall attention to your special needs.

PERSISTENCE
Persistence is a form of courage. It's the courage to endure in the face of adversity and disappointment until you reach your goal. Keep trying until you succeed. Your persistence is your belief in yourself. When someone criticizes you and says it cannot be done; it only means that they don't know how to do it themselves.

Failure as such is an editorial judgment imposed by others who don't know better. If you listen to negative critics you'll find it difficult to succeed. The world will pay for courage and persistency and nothing else. Don't forget that the world is always ready to receive talent with open arms. Luck is where persistency and opportunity collide.

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

—Calvin Coolidge

MONEY
Money is like horse manure—leave it in one place and it smells. Spread it around and it will make things grow. If you say you don't have any money, then people will assume that you're not successful and that you want some of their money. In your business dealings, if business partners don't put up any money, they have not made a financial commitment and can easily walk away without doing any work.

Carry a Benjamin ($100 dollar bill) in your pocket: it will make you feel good.

Develop money management skills. A major part of winning is knowing how to manage money, where to invest and when to leave the table. You establish your own bets. Remember that the house has a distinct advantage most all the time. The house can call the game, change the rules, print money or inflate your investment out of existence. You must evaluate the risk of every investment you make to put the probabilities of success in your favor.

"True luck consists not in holding the best of cards at the table: luckiest is he who knows just when to rise and go home."

—John Hay

Don't fall in love with money. Money and things can never replace people. Be anxious for nothing and you will get what you want.

KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge is good and ignorance is evil. Gather as much information as possible and don't guess. Try not to confuse facts with cherished beliefs. The more you investigate, the less you'll have to invest.

Education is the great equalizer. Without it you're lost. If you ever think that education is expensive, you should compare it to ignorance. You must continue your education and never stop learning. Obtaining specialized knowledge on any subject you are interested in will help you achieve success.

Don't rely on your memory. Write everything down, especially if you're over 30!

"The mind once expanded to the dimensions of a larger idea never returns to its original size."

—Oliver Wendell Holmes

TIMING
Timing is everything. Time not only heals all wounds; it will usually correct many investment mistakes. Seize upon the opportunity when it presents itself. If you shuffle or procrastinate all the time, nothing will happen. So doing something is always better than nothing. Do something instead of talking about it.

Always have a legal yellow pad at your side (bedside, too) to jot down ideas as they enter your mind. List your goals, wishes and dreams on paper. This pad can also be used as a "to-do" list. When you cross off each item on the list, it gives you a sense of accomplishment. Use the telephone or fax to communicate, it gives a sense of urgency.

Never be afraid to make decisions. Its OK to say YES and its OK to say NO. Get "maybe" out of your life along with the "I don’t knows" and "I’ll try". When someone says they'll try to do something, they'll almost never do it.

"Time is the most valuable thing you can spend".

—Theodore Roosevelt

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Rick Solano is a millionaire, wealth builder, financial advisor, motivational keynote speaker and seminar leader, self-help book author and founder of a major continuing education foundation. Order His Millionaire Mentality® Book at http://www.RickSolano.com