The Power of Persistence - The Affirmation Spot for Wednesday March 17, 2010

Today's Thought:Success is not just about winning. Wins come and go. Success is about persistence all the way to your dream.Happy St. Patrick's Day to all. Today is a day when people think about being lucky. Luck certainly plays a role in life's success, but your odds of success go way up when we work single-mindedly toward our goals.The Greek historian Herodotus wrote: "Some give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before."He was speaking of the quality of persistence. You know stick-toitiveness, an unwillingness to give up. It is the first and mandatory prerequisite for all success in life.Think about it. Have you ever seen anyone win a 100 meter dash by stopping at the 50 meter mark? Have you ever seen a football team leave the field in the third quarter and win? Have you ever seen a best-selling author who stopped after a few rejection letters? The first two instances would result in disqualification and the latter instance - well, that person would never be known as a best-selling author.Life always disqualifies us when we give up. No dream ever came true by quitting half way to it. We need persistence. We need an attitude that reminds us, in the face of setback, that we are on a mission to accomplish something big.History has few tales of those who almost did something. We remember those who actually accomplished. There is no record of those who stopped when one more try would have made all the difference. Who almost invented the light bulb, the automobile, the computer? There might have been thousands of people who almost did, who had the potential, who woulda, coulda, shoulda. We only remember who actually did.Give today your all! Give your dreams your best! Leave nothing on the field in their pursuit.The question you have to ask yourself today is, "Am I the next J.K. Rowling?" or "Am I the next Michael Jordan?" or "Am I the next person who was almost one of them, but remains forever anonymous because I gave up just short of the goal?"A greatness lives within each of us and it is there for us to discover when we stay persistent.The choice every single day is ours!Stay inspired!Ray