December 6 is a historic day for dreamers. On this day in 1877, Thomas Edison recited "Mary Had a Little Lamb" into his phonograph invention and made the world's first recording of a human voice.

Edison, as we know, made many of his dreams come true. And we all have benefitted from his persistence.

Dreams start out as little ideas that start to take shape even before we know it. There's a mountain of research about "lucid dreaming," a fascinating concept dealing with sleepers who are aware that they are dreaming and can even control their dreams. I can't say I've mastered this technique, but think of the possibilities!

So, for those of us who rely on our conscious surroundings, I recommend that you nurture your dreams by staying open to the opportunities that await. Consider how the following story could have ended far differently if its subject had let others dampen his dreams.

In his book "The Man Who Listens to Horses," famed horse trainer Monty Roberts tells about the time one of his teachers in high school assigned a paper about life goals. The teacher was interested only in practical goals -- not fantasies about going to Hollywood to become a movie star, and the like. But young Monty had a serious dream. The son of a horse trainer, he longed to own a thoroughbred racehorse facility. Monty turned in a detailed plan to achieve his dream.

The teacher returned his paper with a failing grade. "It's a wild, unattainable dream," he told the teen. "I know your family and background; it would not be possible." He insisted that Monty rewrite the paper.

The next day, after talking with his mother, Monty returned his original paper to the teacher. He included a note saying he believed in his plan and the teacher shouldn't limit his aspirations. The teacher didn't respond at the time, but Monty got an A in the course.

Monty ultimately achieved his dream through hard work and determination. Many years later, he received a call from the teacher, who wanted to arrange a tour of Monty's stables for his church group.

After the tour, the teacher told the group about the term paper and the note Monty had written. "There was a time when I told Monty that this was unattainable," he said. "Now we've all had a good look around, and seen how he proved me wrong." His student, he said, had taught him "the most valuable lesson I ever learned."

Don't give up on your dreams! And don't allow others to discourage you. Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice, but make sure you choose carefully whose counsel you seek. As I often say, believe in yourself, even when no one else does. If you don't try, how will you ever succeed?

In 1782, Robert Shurtleff joined the Continental Army. He marched and fought with the men of the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment in the Revolutionary War.

He was a model soldier. During one battle, Shurtleff sustained a bullet wound to his leg that he tended himself before marching back into action. Word of Shurtleff's courage and camaraderie spread among the troops. The soldiers had the utmost respect for him, though they nicknamed him "Molly" because of his smooth, hairless face. Soon he was tagged to become the assistant to a high-ranking officer.

But in 1783, a deadly fever swept through many of the Army's camps. Shurtleff took ill, and that's when his true identity was discovered: Shurtleff was really Deborah Sampson.

Sampson had spent much of her life as an indentured servant and longed for adventure. The Army seemed to offer the ideal solution as well as the opportunity to serve her country. She just had to hide the fact that she was a woman!

Once her identity was known, the Army was obliged to release her from duty -- women weren't allowed to serve. But the Army stepped up and awarded Sampson an honorable discharge and a military pension for her year in service.

After she married and raised a family, Sampson was ready for another adventure. She dusted off her old Army uniform and began touring the country, speaking about her experiences as a frontline soldier in the Revolutionary War -- and maybe encouraging someone else to take a risk and follow a dream.

Mackay's Moral: Better to chase a dream than to be pursued by regrets.

November is National Entrepreneurship Month, which in my world is the next best thing to a national holiday. Entrepreneurs are the backbone of American business. They take risks with their ideas, money and reputations, believing that their efforts will pay off, even when no one else has confidence in them.

This month honors those who support entrepreneurship, business, innovation and new jobs, as well as promoting entrepreneurship to America's youth. We need young entrepreneurs to replace older generations and continue to innovate.

I wanted to be an entrepreneur even before I could spell the word. I dreamed of owning my own factory, long before I knew what that factory would produce. I envisioned my success and looked forward to the day that I could share it with my employees. Through the ups and downs, I was determined. I made my share of mistakes, tried to learn from them and moved on.

My story is hardly unique. While there were few resources out there for dreamers like me at that time, the landscape has changed. Marvelous advice from very successful people is readily available.

One new book in particular caught my attention, and I am excited to share some of its wisdom. I am referring to Dean Graziosi's "Millionaire Success Habits" (www.MshSuccessbook.com), which hit the shelves last week. I would have given an arm and a leg to read it when I was starting out in business and life. Dean's premise is that you can make "barely noticeable, small shifts in your daily routines by nudging out those things that don't serve you and replacing them with habits that create a path to wealth and abundance."

It doesn't matter, Graziosi says, whether you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, an executive, an investor, an employee or a young person just starting out in your first job. His book focuses on financial success, but he also emphasizes fulfillment in other areas of life, including family, parenting, friendships, relationships, spirituality, health, physical fitness, love and passion.

First, you have to decide what you want out of life. Too often, we can define what we don't want, but can't really figure out where we want to go.

He says, "It doesn't matter how fast you can go, it doesn't matter how much passion you have, and it doesn't matter how much energy you put into something. If you don't have a vision and clarity about the destination you want to reach, you'll simply never get there."

His conclusion: "When you focus on the outcome rather than the obstacle, your life will never be the same." This is goal-setting on steroids! As a goals-oriented guy, I'm endorsing this advice wholeheartedly.

The next key component to turning your vision into reality is to identify your "why" -- why do you really want what you are looking for? Dean shares a "seven levels deep" exercise that gets at the heart of your "why" and which anyone can follow. He says it is the foundation to all success and possibly the most important millionaire success habit you can develop. And he advises that you should do the exercise four times a year, just to stay on track.

Another concept that Dean identifies as an important success habit is this: "When it comes to your clients, be in the relationship business, not the transaction business. People will refund a transaction, but not a relationship."

Regular readers of my column will recognize this idea, which I refer to as "humanize your selling strategy." You have to get to know your customers as people first, or you will never be able to relate to their needs any better than the next salesperson.

There is so much in this book, and all Dean's other best-sellers, that I have only scratched the surface. But there is one more chapter that deserves to be highlighted.

Dean calls it the power of happiness: "As your success, income and responsibility grow, you can't neglect your happiness. ... happiness leads to success rather than the opposite. ... no amount of money will make you happy unless you find internal satisfaction."

Truer words were never spoken.

Mackay's Moral: You can change your habits and change your life. Don't wait.

Ten-year-old Billy stumbled while boarding the school bus one morning and bruised his cheek on the stair. But he got up, brushed himself off, looked out at his dad, who was at the bus stop, and gave him a thumbs-up.

Later that morning the school nurse called his father and said Billy had an accident at school. He ran into another student during a gym class and had a bump on his forehead but was OK. The nurse said Billy seemed more concerned about the other student.

At the end of the day, as Billy was heading for the school bus, he slipped on some ice and broke his wrist trying to catch his fall. When his father arrived at the hospital, he found his son chatting away with the nurses.

He said, "Dad, look," as he clutched a dollar bill. "I found this when I fell. Today is my lucky day."

Life and our circumstances are all about how we think of them. And for most of us working stiffs, our circumstances include making a living, sometimes at a job or career that occupies a big bite of our time. Shouldn't that big bite taste good?

Career success is an ongoing journey, not a destination. You've got to show up every day and concentrate consistently on the activities that lead to achievement. You can keep moving forward from goal to goal, but your job satisfaction and performance will suffer if you don't bring your best attitude to work.

Insurance magnate and author W. Clement Stone wrote: "There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative." By the way, Stone lived this philosophy to a ripe old age of 100.

If you recognize some negative traits invading your attitude, take some action before it's too late. Don't waste time when you've got a problem to solve or an idea to put into action. A rapid response gets attention and builds excitement.

Focus on the bright side. Emphasize what you genuinely enjoy about your job and the people you work with, and express your gratification as much as you can.

Keep your eye on results. It's easy to fall into routines and patterns that emphasize the process instead of the outcome. Learn the rules, but apply them with an eye on what you want to achieve.

Check your use of language, and change it when necessary. This includes inner talk and outer talk. Change your negative words and thoughts into positive ones. Understand that some days will be more challenging, but don't fall back into bad habits. Turn negatives into positives. Don't obsess over obstacles and setbacks. Treat failures as an opportunity to spot mistakes and move forward.

Ultimately, the only control you have in life is over yourself, your thoughts, actions, responses and behaviors.

Don't fixate over what you can't control; concentrate on what you can.

You'll stay positive if you remind yourself of what you already possess. Every day, spend some time thinking about your health, family and friends and the advantages you have, instead of focusing on what you lack.

And if, after you have given serious consideration to all this advice, you are still unable to conjure up a good attitude toward your job or career choice, find another line of work and quickly! You aren't doing yourself, or the people around you, any favors by staying in a situation that will only get worse.

It's up to you to fix what you can, and that starts with your attitude. Don't sell yourself short. You deserve better.

When it comes to having a winning attitude, think about this story of a taxpayer and an IRS tax auditor, who was reviewing the taxpayer's records. While the auditor worked through the papers, the taxpayer shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

The auditor adjusted his glasses and said, "Mr. Smith, we at the IRS feel it's a great privilege to live and work in the United States. And as a U.S. citizen, you have an obligation to pay taxes. And we expect you to pay them eagerly with a smile."

"Oh, thank goodness," Mr. Smith said, wearing a giant grin on his face. "I thought you were going to want me to pay with cash."

Mackay's Moral: Take control of your attitude before it takes control of you.