| How often have you given up doing something | | | | Records for delivering 12 punch lines per |
| even before you gave yourself an honest | | | | minute. Anne Frank was a young girl when she |
| chance of succeeding? | | | | wrote her diary which is still published and |
| | | | continues to be read throughout the world by |
| Perhaps you started a redecorating project or | | | | the next generation. |
| writing a novel. You purchased all the | | | | |
| necessary items and then never painted or | | | | - I don't know what I want to do: You may not |
| wallpapered the room because you thought you | | | | know exactly what you want to do, but there |
| couldn't do it perfectly. You wrote the | | | | is something in the back of your mind that is |
| outline, table of contents and the | | | | important. Especially if you know you're not |
| introduction to your novel, without giving | | | | happy in what you're doing now, you know |
| your literary talent a chance to flourish you | | | | there's more you want out of life. Do |
| abandoned it, because you think no one will | | | | whatever your heart desires and see where it |
| read it. | | | | leads you. |
| | | | |
| You begin a diet. Within a few days, you | | | | - I want to do too much: No one says you |
| revert to your normal eating habits because | | | | can't do a little of everything. Just pick |
| you didn't see immediate results. | | | | one that will set the groundwork for the |
| | | | others. Find the common thread in the things |
| Because of your past experiences when you | | | | you like, and start there. You can branch off |
| have not achieved all that you wanted, you | | | | once the foundation is in place. |
| only remember getting bombarded with more and | | | | |
| more work when you thought the project would | | | | -The universe is against me: Hm-m-m-m-Not at |
| take only a few days. You think the next | | | | all. Once you set your mind to something and |
| project will end up the same, so you don't | | | | begin heading in a direction, the universe |
| begin or you slack off and let the fruits of | | | | will open up in ways you can't see right now. |
| our dreams fade away. | | | | People will come into your life, events will |
| | | | take place, and you will begin to see more |
| You need to become an expert at getting out | | | | light at the end of the tunnel each day. But |
| of your own way when it comes to achieving | | | | you have to make the first moves. Nothing |
| your dreams. After all, you've gotten in your | | | | takes place for you unless you do something. |
| own way over and over for years. | | | | Do something, even if it is wrong, you can |
| | | | learn from that. Thomas Edison was asked if |
| We sabotage ourselves in any number of ways | | | | he was discouraged because he had 100 |
| by our thoughts. | | | | failures in his quest to invent the light |
| | | | bulb. "Discouraged! Edison exclaimed, I am |
| - I'm not good enough: On Monday, a group of | | | | closer to inventing the light bulb, I already |
| students will be given a lecture by the worst | | | | know 100 ways how not to invent a light bulb, |
| teacher. The worst actor will star in a | | | | the next idea may be the one that works." |
| made-for-television movie. And the worst boy | | | | |
| band will put on a mini show for friends and | | | | - Motivational speaker Les Brown in his book |
| family in their garage. I don't have any | | | | "It's Not Over Until You Win," tells a story |
| more talent than them, you say. What if the | | | | of a keynote speaker at a National Speakers |
| boys who became the Beatles had stopped | | | | Association conference he attended. The |
| practicing in Ringo's garage-because, they | | | | speaker was perhaps the worst speaker Les had |
| thought they weren't good enough. | | | | ever heard. The man spoke in a monotone voice |
| | | | and was dull as a butter knife. By the end of |
| - No one will be interested: Just look around | | | | his presentation, more than two-thirds of the |
| at some of the things you see on television | | | | audience had walked out. The speaker, |
| or read in newspapers or books or magazines. | | | | noticing this said something that pretty much |
| It is amazing some things have lasted this | | | | sums up the message of this article. "The |
| long-you intone. What if J.K. Rowling of | | | | reason I am up here (Doing) and you are |
| Harry Potter fame would have told herself-No | | | | sitting down there (watching) is because I |
| one will be interested, so why bother writing | | | | represent the thoughts you have rejected for |
| this novel. | | | | yourself." |
| | | | |
| - I'm too old/young: Colonel Sanders was | | | | Give yourself a chance, get out of your own |
| sixty-five when he began his Kentucky Fried | | | | way and persevere. Perseverance pays off. If |
| Chicken restaurant. He died a | | | | Edison could invent the first light bulb |
| multimillionaire. Phyllis Diller was | | | | after 100+ non workable prototypes, you can |
| 40-something when she became a star as a | | | | create what you want too. It isn't the |
| comedian-old by industry standards at the | | | | amount of genius, it is the amount of |
| time. Diller achieved a record that still | | | | perseverance. |
| stands today in the Guinness Book of World | | | | |