You will never obtain any measure of material wealth if you insist upon living your life as if you were looking back through the rear view mirror of an automobile.  Nevertheless, this seems to be a common error which many people have turned into a habit.  Remember the old adage which says, let the dead bury the dead.  Stop looking back in your life and worrying about things which have already occurred and which you can no longer alter.  Pursuing that kind of mental activity will never lead to anything worthwhile in your life.

You should understand moreover, that all of the great achievers of the past have been visionary figures.  They were men and women who projected into the future and did not belabour over the past.  They thought of what could be, rather than what already was, and then they moved themselves into action, bringing these things into fruition.

Leland Val Vandewall offers some excellent advice on this subject.
Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around us in awareness.

If you have been guilty of allowing your sales sheets, your bank account or the x-rays the doctor takes of your body, to control the way you view your sales, financial position, or health, you will never see any marked improvement in your life in any of these areas.  However, if you let the present, physical results serve only as an indication of the images which you have been holding in the past and then proceed to look into the bright future and to build an image of the good that you desire; you will see the image materialize. 

Look up, look ahead and form the image of the life you choose to live.

What kind of world would this world be, if everyone in it lived just like me?  That is an excellent question to ask yourself.

Think about it.  If everyone held the same attitudes as you in their work, their family, their contribution to society, just what would this world be like?  Would every company be doing better?  Would every family be happier?  Would every community be thriving with pride, prosperity and friendship?

Albert Schweitzer was asked what the greatest tragedy was in life.  His answer was startling.  He said that life’s greatest tragedy was a human tragedy.  It is in the things we let die within us while we live.

When your head hits the pillow tonight, before you drift off to sleep, invest a few moments to make up your mind that you will give your best in all areas of your life for one day - tomorrow.  Fall asleep with that idea occupying your marvelous mind.

Henry David Thoreau was asked if he could give a definition of the word hell.  He answered, No, but I know who could.  Ask all those people who think about all the things they could have been, the things they could have done and all the things they could have had, yet did nothing about it.  Yes, ask them because they know what hell is like.

It is one thing to give your best and not quite make it.  It is another thing to give less than you know you can.

Yes, this world is a better place when everyone is giving and doing their best.

We are gradually awakening to the fact that we live in a Universe of Infinite Intelligence which responds to our every thought, but only those who delve into the study of the mind really know what a mighty energy is set in motion with each mental impulse.

Thought not only molds our character but is responsible for the changes in communities, the building of cities, the shaping of nations, and all the great events that take place in the world.  THOUGHT IS THE SILENT SWITCH THAT SETS IN MOTION MAN’S DESTINY.  Every invention and worthwhile discovery was first a mental concept.  Every idea that has been backed with faith and effort has become a visible reality, and all seeming material obstructions such as poverty or physical weaknesses have only served to stimulate creative action by giving birth to inward resources and bringing out inherent abilities.

A while back I spent some time with Rick Hansen.  Rick is a young man who was left paralyzed from the waste down from an automobile accident.  He told me that his physical disability turned into a good thing.  Because his disability was physical, he could see it and overcome it.  Although he was virtually unknown and without money, he pushed himself around the world in his wheelchair and raised millions of dollars for spinal cord research.

It was Rick Hansen’s thoughts which liberated him from a dull, pitiful life.  His thoughts gave him a life full of adventure; a life full of service to thousands; a life which caused millions of people to look at themselves and think of what they were doing with their lives.

Thought is a tremendous power and you can use it to improve the quality of your life.

When you were growing up, how often did you hear the words,
It’s better to be safe than sorry?  Probably too often, especially when you became aware that most people who played it safe ended up sorry.  It is the Risk Takers who generally end up winners!

How many people do you know who have passed up a magnificent opportunity because they might have had to mortgage their house or quit the job they had held for a number of years.  Rather than step out boldly, they stepped back into safety.

Abraham Maslow said you will either step forward into growth or step back into safety.  He also advised us if you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life.

I am not suggesting that you become irresponsible, which is quite different from taking risks, although I will agree it is a fine line which separates the two.

The opposite of taking a risk is, of course, playing it safe.  The latter would probably be a reasonable way of life for seventy or eighty years if you had a contract to live for a thousand years.  Playing it safe is a pretty dull way to live and you end up looking back on your life wondering what would have happened if you had done this or tried that.

People who play it safe are generally not very exciting.  In fact, they would probably border on being very boring.  On a scale of one to ten as a risk taker, where do you stand?

Add a little spice to your life today and take a risk.  Remember, if you play it safe you may end up sorry.

Since time began we have been told by the wise that giving is much more beneficial than receiving.  There have probably been many occasions when you had a good reason to question that advice but even in those moments your higher self would probably agree with the concept.  I came across something in a file I keep which suggests there is something you can give every day … that would provide you with great compensation.

It costs nothing, but creates much.  It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give.  It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None are so rich that they can get along without it, and none are so poor but are richer for its benefits.  It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business and is the counter sign of friends.  Your gift will provide rest for the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad and nature's best antidote for trouble.

Yet, it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given away!  And, if it ever happens that a salesperson should be too tired to give one of these to you, you may want to give them one of yours.

For nobody needs one of these so much as those who have none left to give.

This is a bit of a riddle isn't it?  What on earth could provide so much for so little.

A SMILE - that's right, a smile.

Make up your mind to give a big one to every person you come in contact with today.

A smile … form ear to ear, and pay particular attention to the reaction you get from every person you give one to.  Professionals who train people on the proper use of the telephone will tell you to smile when you are using the telephone and it will improve your effectiveness.