cross-section of Bermuda's schoolchildren as their contribution to Education Month. Every Thursday throughout this month The Royal Gazette , in conjunction with the Department of Education, will present a full page of students' compositions and illustrations.

Our attitude towards life should acknowledge that our life is not a game.

A game produces a winner or a loser, but life produces success or failure. Let us adopt the attitude towards life that we can succeed or fail, on our own merits.

There are two types of attitudes; a positive attitude, the one which produces success, and a negative attitude, the destructive one, which produces failure.

A successful life has many parts. It offers opportunities to contribute to colleagues, company and community. It has flexibility and time for family, friends and personal interests, and it proceeds at a steady pace. A negative approach to life means that our qualities lie dormant.

A person's attitude is merely but words and thought. Our thoughts and words lay the foundation for successes and failures in our lives. Our thoughts are the seeds that grow with the right conditions. Whatever we've achieved was a thought before it became a reality.

We must set goals and stick to them. Some people have doubtful attitudes about their goals in life. In light of the high rate of unemployment today, perhaps some will feel that despite their education, they will not reach their desired goals.

Whatever the reason for our fear, we must face that fear. Begin by saying, "I am scared but not defeated. I feel stressed but not distressed. I may be confused but I will not despair''. Achieving individuals accomplish their goals because they expect to.

If we believe that we can be successful, and market ourselves as a successful person, we will become that successful person.

We create the things we don't want in our lives by holding negative images, ideas and thoughts and then stating them verbally. When we doubt ourselves, we speak words that support negative misconceptions, and the world will agree with whatever we feel and speak.

If we feel unable to reach important goals, we won't have the desire or energy even to set them. If we don't feel we deserve to be prosperous, we have no place for that blessing in our lives. If we are distrustful of people, we attract those who aren't worthy of our trust.

The condition of our lives speaks clearly about the thoughts we hold about a positive or negative attitude of life. With a negative attitude, one which harbours anger and pain, we attract the circumstances and people to keep our anger and pain alive in our lives, but if we have a positive attitude of faith, love and security, we attract the people and experience that support our love and feelings of security. What we think, say and plan for, is what we will achieve.

We have to declare ownership in our lives and say, "I am in charge of me, my thoughts and actions, and I have the ability and the power to change anything negative into a positive''. Be a die-hard with a positive attitude towards life and have it no other way.

Be a responsible person, take responsibility for your future and live a principled life. Remember that you only get out of life, what you put into life, and that is your attitude towards life that will determine life's attitude towards you.

DEVIKA GIBBONS Age 13, Warwick Academy.