By P Chong                             Friday, 12 March 2010

Earl Nightingale, once renowned as the Dean of Motivation, referred “attitude” as the “The Strangest Secret”. It’s a secret that spells magic because that one simple word can transform your life.

Before him, Frederick Langbridge (1849-1923), English poet & religious writer, famously expressed it well when he wrote, “Two men look out the same prison bars; one sees mud and the other stars.”

It is our disposition, perspective, viewpoint, or outlook. It is how we view the world. Our life is a reflection of our attitude. Here’s a little story for illustration:

One day, a rich family left on a trip to the country. The father’s sole firm purpose was to show his son how poor people can be. They spent a day & a night in the farm of a very poor family.

When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”

“Very good Dad!”

“And what did you learn?”

The son answered, “We have one dog at home. I saw they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon.”

When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless. His son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!”

Now, isn’t it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humour and a positive attitude towards life – you’ve got everything!

You can’t buy any of these things, that’s why we say that the best things in life are free. With the right attitude, you can have all the material possessions you can imagine, fulfilling your hope, dreams & aspiration. But if you are poor in spirit, you have nothing!