Make Three Wishes.

If a mighty genie popped up from his lamp to grant the beholder three wishes, most people would choose money, power, and influence. But why? With money, power, and influence, they will never have to work again, they can make their own rules, and life will be easy.

Is an easy life really better?

My son and I have mastered a tank survival game on the Wii. In each level, our mission is to drive little, bright-colored tanks around, shooting all the enemy tanks before they can shoot ours. As you might imagine, the first level has but one sleepy tank to destroy. As we progressed through the game, we continued to face faster, more aggressive tanks, and in greater numbers. As we defeated each level, we gave each other a high-five and were excited to take on whatever should come next!

If our tanks were hit, however, we had to start the whole game over again, which was agonizing. After all that we had accomplished, beating that one sleepy tank on the first level had become little more than a formality and defeating it was laughable. Being so bored with it, in fact, we found ourselves looking for ways to make the first level more interesting, such as trying to hit with our eyes closed.

Life is like a game of tanks.

Every level of life will bring you new challenges. Oh sure, the game may seem near impossible at first, but with your intellect, enthusiasm, and determination, you will achieve victory and keep moving forward. For most people, when life gets stalled and becomes too easy, immense boredom sets in, and they lose their excitement for the game.

Remember, nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. So, the next time a mighty genie grants you three wishes, be sure to wish for never-ending hard work, near-impossible challenges, and limitless enthusiasm. With tough challenges and hard work, and enough enthusiasm to conquer them, you'll be sure to find happiness. It is as today's fortune says, "Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the world. It beats money, power, and influence."