By the time students are in high school or college, many of their dreams have faded. It’s as if the thought never crossed their minds. Dreams? Goals? Why bother? Only a few students in this age group can state their goals. Adult audiences are even more disheartening, usually only one or two individuals can state their dreams. What happened? Why does our passion for the future fade and die as we go through life?

I have found that by the time most people become adults they are doubtful, hopeless, fearful, and negative. Self-doubt, coupled with limited, small-time thinking has become a habit and a way of life. They've given up on themselves and their dreams, and are working at dead-end jobs they detest. The result is a painful life spent in “survival mode.”

Don't become someone who struggles simply to survive and yet, barely does so. There is no passion and no meaning living in “survival mode.” Living in survival mode means you unenthusiastically crawl out of bed, grudgingly prepare for the day, reluctantly rush off to work or school, drag yourself home, halfheartedly prepare dinner, watch television, pass out, and then repeat the whole process the following day. It’s no surprise there is no passion and no meaning. You’re sleepwalking through life!

Designing a life based on your passions is not easy, but it is necessary. Regardless of what you want to create for your life, build it on a foundation of integrity, honesty, and excellence.

Rich by Choice, Poor by Habit is a concise and easy-tounderstand guide to some of the most powerful, life-enriching tools and principles. It is filled with concepts, illustrations, activities, sample work sheets, and real life Laurie Stories, all of which demonstrate how to think the unthinkable, and make the impossible possible.

Each chapter of this book contains a Laurie Story. A Laurie Story is a story about me that illustrates when my rich choices paid off and when my poor habits prevented me from succeeding. It is my hope that, by including these personal accounts, you will be encouraged and motivated to learn from my past successes and failures.

My goal is to motivate you to eliminate self-defeating poor habits, and to inspire you to make intelligent and informed rich choices. My hope is that you will continually move in the direction of your dreams and goals. I have divided this book into two sections: Life Management and Financial Management.

LIFE MANAGEMENT
The Life Management section is designed to help you understand the impact your choices have on your future. Life Management techniques cover: setting personal goals, consistently doing your best, effectively managing your thoughts and your time, taking appropriate risks while eliminating your fears, maintaining healthy relationships, and designing your life with passion. Life Management skills are essential to living a healthy and prosperous life.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
The Financial Management section is designed to help you become an optimistic, responsible, and financially healthy individual. It covers fundamental skills including: financial goal setting, successful budgeting, intelligent consumption, basic money saving techniques, general investment principles, protecting yourself from identity theft, and successful credit card and checking account management. Financial literacy is an essential life skill and critical to your overall success.

We live in a country of opportunity and abundance, yet many of us are filled with self-doubt, hopelessness, and limited thinking. We are often told: “You can't, you won't, and you're not.” I hope this book will inspire you to always say: “I can, I will, and I am!” Live for today, choose for tomorrow!

LET'S GO, LIFE IS WAITING!

We must open the doors of opportunity. But we must also equip our people to walk through those doors.— Lyndon B. Johnson