|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did you ever think that all of the great heroes we read about may not have been particularly great men in and of themselves? They may not have been born with any great skills, talents or abilities. But, each of them did have one special quality that we would all do well to cultivate.
A Tough Nut To Crack!
Because of my passion for recording and singing I've had the opportunity to meet some really famous people. And, one thing I have discovered about these people is that they have a "never say quit philosophy." They have a bull dog tenacity that would make a snapping turtle jealous.
A side thought just in case you have never heard; the saying goes that a snapping turtle, if it bites you, won't let go till it thunders. I don't know if it is true or not and couldn't care less because I don't let snapping turtles bite me. So, back to my point.
Live And Learn!
The stories I have been told by these famous people is sometimes shocking and very inspiring. I won't mention any names but one in particular comes to mind. See if you can relate to this tragedy to triumph.
His passion was for music, as mine is, and during the early years of his struggle, to reach the top, he lived in an apartment with no bathroom. After a short while he got kicked out, which he says was not a big loss; then he lived in a convertible automobile with a leaky top.
He literally and he truthfully swears he lived off of cat food in a can for a year. It took him almost twenty years to have his first number one hit. And, that means twenty years of playing the honky tonks for peanuts with no success any where in sight.
Never Look Back!
His story really made me think; how much do we really want success? How much blood are we willing to give? What kind of a price are you willing to pay for that elusive dream that captivates and mesmerizes you?
For my friend that I've mentioned, there was no price too great, no sacrifice too large, no limits he placed on himself, except for breaking the law, he never crossed that line, but he was willing to pull out all stops to have what he dreamed.
His Goose Is Cooked!
His father even tried to bribe him with money to forget the crazy notion of pursuing music. He decided to stay in his leaky roof convertible and, he said by that time, he had started to like cat food. Yuk! His father said; dumb decision boy!
His father asked him; ok, how long are you going to pursue this? He told his father he had placed a limit on the timeframe and said that it was one hundred years. If he didn't succeed after one hundred years he would quit. His father said; dumb decision boy!
Pinch Me To See If I'm Dreaming!
I tell you this story not to insinuate that this is the kind of life a person must endure in order to have great success. But, to share with you that here was an ordinary person with no extra special gifts, just a never quitting attitude, that caused him to be living his dream today.
If there is any quality that separates the successful person from the failure, it is persistence; Not talent, not ability, not education. And over and over I have been told by some big name people how hard the struggles were to reach the top.
Persistence is like the object in motion. It takes more energy to stop it than for it to continue its course. Starting the object is where most of the energy is used. And, it's the same in pursuing success.
You Can Bet Your Bottom Dollar!
Everyone wants to be a success in life, but unless you make a commitment to never say quit, you will have a lot of opportunities to fail. The comforting thing is; life will never quit on us, it will keep presenting us with opportunities to succeed, many of which will look like you'll be up to your neck in alligators.
You may have a problem now that you've tried and tried to overcome. You many have even said, "I've fought this thing so long." What's the use, I'll never win. I have just one word of encouragement for you: Just remember; "Cat Food!"
When I first decided that I was not meant to work for someone else, a friend gave me a poem that I want to reprint here. The author of this poem is unknown, and I'm sure some of you will have seen it and I'm sure a lot of you haven't. It was an inspiration to me when I first read it and I've kept a plaque of it for many years. The title is; "Don't Quit".
Don't Quit
When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns, as every one of us sometimes learns, And many a fellow turns about, When he might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seem slow, You might succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than, it seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup, And, he learned too late when the night came down, How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the clouds of doubt. And, you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar, so stick to the fight when you're the hardest hit, It's when things seems worst that you must not quit. (Author Unknown)
Worth Its Weight In Gold!
If you won't quit, your faith in yourself and the goodness of God will see you through. Remember, with you and God, you can turn failure into victory.
Richard Vegas ©
About The Author
Richard Vegas is a popular recording artist and internet marketing professional. He invites you to subscribe to his FREE weekly ezine "Wing-Tips" Teaching The Success System That Never Fails, at: http://www.1-work-at-home-based-business-opportunities.com. You may also hear some of Richard's free music at: http://www.richardvegas.com.
webmaster@1-work-at-home-bas ed-business-opportunities.com
As a whole we spend a lot of time filling... Read More
Effective leaders are comfortable with paradox. They can call on... Read More
Your word is your truth - Know that when you... Read More
1. The Law of Authoritarian StyleAuthoritarian leaders lead by control... Read More
"The miracle power that elevates the few is to be... Read More
President Ike Eisenhower once demonstrated the difference between leadership and... Read More
In the Wall Street Journal, Franklin Lavin, U.S. Ambassabor to... Read More
Delegating is a commonly misunderstood concept. Delegating is not about... Read More
As a leader, you do nothing more important than get... Read More
Ask anyone about what makes a good leader and they... Read More
There can be no doubt that the ancient author of... Read More
Complaining. There's room for legitimate complaining, but if you let... Read More
Purpose: Learn immediately if you are fostering leadership or ignoring... Read More
Leadership is motivational or it's stumbling in the dark. The... Read More
Business leaders have more than a title on their doors.... Read More
The hologram is a three-dimensional photograph made on a flat... Read More
A Leader is not a certain type of person or... Read More
For many of us, asking for help is a difficult... Read More
"You do not merely want to be considered just the... Read More
As the 'Great And Powerful Oz' once said to Dorothy,... Read More
Connect and Engage! Your People Are Your Power.It's been said... Read More
Some people mistakenly associate supervisory positions, or seats of power,... Read More
"Do what you do so well that they will want... Read More
It's interesting to hear the responses from executives when I... Read More
Any man would be justly proud to claim even a... Read More
Did you ever notice that In our American culture, we... Read More
Leadership is not about winning a popularity contest, it's about... Read More
95% of Workers Fail Because of This...But They Can Fix... Read More
A new supervisor is hired to anchor a gardening project... Read More
There is too much learning out there that we earn... Read More
In the hit comedic movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray's character,... Read More
Here's a really simple way to measure the strength of... Read More
Many potential leaders in business sabotage themselves and their organizations... Read More
latent (adj.) ? Not visible or apparent, but capable of... Read More
Reframing is looking at the situation with a new set... Read More
I just delivered a free speech. I am a great... Read More
So you want to be a leader? Or you want... Read More
Tough and challenging times will surely come. That is a... Read More
[Abounding Abundant Ample Ways To Boost Your Growth!] This may... Read More
Why didn't I get an Owner's ManualAfter a little while... Read More
Recently I attended Cub Scout Leader Outdoor Experience training. This... Read More
Although new ideas lead to creative solutions, they can be... Read More
"Leaders are born, not made." Right? Let me ask you... Read More
Today I stood up to a guy right in front... Read More
This article was published in the Nov. 2003 edition of... Read More
Each and every one of you has hidden deep inside... Read More
There is a common phrase that says: "You can't teach... Read More
Women should not be afraid of or feel guilty about... Read More
"Sooth 't were a pleasant life to lead, With nothing... Read More
Though out your career you may be asked to become... Read More
Leadership |