* Just say "NO"; Saying "NO" to somebody is probably one of the most difficult things to do in life! I helped to raise two kids, and saying "NO" to a child, is another difficult thing to do, but it has to be done! A person has to do the following:

- You have to say "NO" to people who take advantage of you. - You have to say "NO" to people who want to take you down into the gutter with them.

- You have to say 'NO" to people who will get you in trouble, or who don't respect you! Case in point. As a veteran, I was homeless a few years ago, because of job losses, and I was in a program at the VA Medical Center, which helps veterans get back on their feet. Most of the veterans in the program, were there because of substance abuse, etc.

One morning, I was approached by a fellow veteran, and he asked me if I wanted to make a quick ten bucks. He told me, he had been found dirty, in his attempt to re-enter the program, and he needed help, and he knew I don't drink or do drugs, etc. You know what he wanted? He pulled a plastic urine container out of his pocket, and he said he needed a sample from me, to pass as his own! Unbelieveable!

Correct me if I'm wrong...but the VA Medical Center, sits on federal land, and the FBI would have jurisdiction. This little fraud (if successful) would cost the taxpayers about $10.000 for food and shelter for a year, and I don't think the FBI would want to hear about this little scheme! I didn't have to tell the fellow "NO" because I just walked away!

This fellow didn't need a cup full of urine...he needed a cup full of INTEGRITY! "You must do the things in life, that you think you cannot do." Elenor Roosevelt I'll bet the reader a dollar to a donut, that if all the people in prison across America, had a person in their young life, who had the ability to say "NO" they would not be in prison today! Because of this, they became quitters and losers, with no discipline in their lives!

* Discipline: (definition) activity, training, or regimen that develops or improves a skill;

"Without discipline, there's no life at all." Katherine Hepburn

Years ago, I worked with a woman, who told me that she got a call from her mother, who wanted to go to the casino to gamble. She told her mother yes, but she would take $50.00, and when that was gone, she would quit and come home. So, she and her mother happily went to the casino to gamble.

A few hours later, she lost the entire $50.00 and she saw something in the corner she was not expecting...an ATM machine! (tempation) So, she took out $50.00...and then another $50.00...and then another $50.00 and by early afternoon, she was out $250.00 of her hard-earned money ! WOW...what a mistake! When she left the casino, she was sick...both mentally and physically...and she even threw up later that afternoon!

This is a woman, who did not have the courage to tell her mother "NO" and she did not have the discipline to say "NO" to the ATM machine, either!

"Bad habits are like a comfortable bed...easy to get into...and hard to get out of." Unknown *

Determination: (definition) fixed purpose or intent;

I was determined to quit smoking in 1970, and as of 1-2008 I have never touched a cigarette. In 2001, I was determinet to lose 40 pounds, which I did, and I have never gained a pound since! I 2006, I was determined to to make my articles the best I could and get published, and as of the New Year (2008), all 61 of my articles have been published on over 160 websites on the Internet. To reach your goals, a person needs determination!

"Nothing of great value in life comes easily." Norman Vincent Peale

* Commitment; (definition) a pledge or promise; obligation;

When I committed myself to an exercise program in 1986, I promised myself that I would stay with it (for the long haul), because it is one of the best things a person can do for themselves. When you break a promise to yourself, you're not hurting anyone but yourself!

- "Positive thoughts not only make you feel happier, but make you live longer." M. Soni *

Sacrifice: (definition) to surrender or give up for the sake of something;

In my view, people don't want to sacrifice anymore! They want to have their cake and eat it, too! With a lifestyle change, a person has to give up the things that are hurting them. The doctor puts a person on a diet; tells that person to quit smoking; lose weight; get exercise, etc.

The person doesn't follow the instructions, and he or she finds themselves upsidedown in a hospital and then they wonder why! If you're going to get well...and stay well...you're going to have to sacrifice!

* Will-power: (definition) control of one's impulses; self-control

Some people go through a lot to quit smoking or lose weight, and a few years later, they start smoking again, and gain weight, etc. They don't have that "mental-toughness," or will-power, it takes to continue...and they break the promise they made to themselves...which is a shame! * Temptation/peer-pressure:

Let's face it! We're all going to have to fight off temptation and peer-pressure, of one kind or another, for the rest of our lives, and everyone will do it in their own way. Doctors; nurses; the best medications and technologies are only aids to the individual. Add to that, all the snake-oil; magic dust; patches; malts; and broken promises on the shelves...and WHEW! To reach your goals, you're still going to need a few more things...discipline; sacrifice; determination; commitment; and a little courage, etc.

- Attitude is everything! I've always had a positive attitude, and when something negative happens to me, I try to find something positive that will come out of it!

"Losers make promises they often break...and winners make a commitment they often keep." Denis Whatley

"For those who want to succeed...will find a way...and for those who don't...will find an excuse!" Leo Aquila

"Winners take time to relish their work. Knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view so exhilariting!"

WINNERS...in my view, are all those people who have the ability to say "NO!" bgggg

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