Good day,
Maybe this will spark some thoughts. :-})
Jeff
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"Perseverance" from the Joy of Working by Denis Waitley
There's a belief that certain people do everything right. That they never
make mistakes and their plans never fail. There is the presumption that
only if you're perfect, perfect all the time, only then do you have the
"right stuff" to success. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The greatest quarterbacks complete only six out of 10 passes.
The best basketball players only make about one half of their shots.
Winners in the stock market make money on only two out of five investments.
It's not enough to plan; it's necessary to *persevere*. Trying once will
not do; you've got to try and try again. Success depends on staying power.
The lack of perseverance is the reason most people fail in attaining their
goals. Persistence is the gold mine of success.
One of the most dramatic examples in history of perseverance is the
following life of a man:
He lost his job in 1832.
He was defeated for the legislature, also in 1832.
He failed in business in 1833.
He was elected to the legislature in 1834.
He suffered the loss of his sweetheart, who died in 1835.
He suffered a nervous breakdown in 1836.
He was defeated for speaker of the state legislature in 1838.
He was defeated for nomination for Congress in 1843.
He was elected to Congress in 1846.
He lost his renomination for Congress in 1848.
He was rejected for the position of land officer in 1849.
He was defeated for the Senate in 1854.
He was defeated for the nomination for Vice-President of the US in 1856.
He was defeated again for the Senate in 1858.
And then...Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United State in
1860.
Never think of defeat as a permanent condition. Instead, view failure only
as postponed success. As it did for Lincoln, victory ultimately comes to
those who make a habit of persistence.
The following quote is from Ray Kroc the founder of McDonald's:
"Press On: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent
will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful individuals with talent.
Genius will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and
determination alone are omnipotent."
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And my own twist... "the greatest high jumper in the world always ends on a
failure."
jj
