Abraham Lincoln used to tell a story about a frog that fell into a deep muddy wagon track. A couple of days later, he was still there. Frog friends found him and urged him to get out of his predicament. He made a few feeble efforts but remained mired in his rut.
For the next few days his friends encouraged him to try harder, but they finally gave up and went back to their pond. The next day the frog was seen sunning himself contentedly along the shore of the pond. "How did you get out of that rut" his friend asked. "Well as you know," said the frog, "I couldn't. But then a wagon came along and I had to." From: Leadership...with a human touch, January 9, 2001, Pages 11-12
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“Grit, in a word, is stamina. But it’s not just stamina in your effort. It’s stamina in your direction, stamina in your interests.” - Angela Duckworth
How are you able to stick to the effort to reach your goals? Failure
Failure is ceasing to try! Tis accepting defeat And to all you may meet Giving voice to a sigh; Tis in thinking it vain To attempt furthermore And in bowing to pain When the muscles grow sore. Failure is stepping aside From the brunt of the fray In a weak-hearted way, Being content to abide in the shadows that fall, And in being afraid Out of life, after all, Nothing is left to be made. Failure is thinking despair, The forsaking of hope, And the refusal to cope With the day’s round of care, It is in heeding the cry, “All is lost!” And to stay with defeat and not try For the happier day. By Edgar Albert Guest “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” - LaFleur
Is your example causing others to change their opinion? “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” - Bruce Lee
What goals have you missed that brought you to your purpose? “The biggest room, is the room for improvement.” - Anonymous
What are the things requiring the biggest improvement in your life? “Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness.” - Anne Frank
What does your character say about your greatness? 1. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself. 3. Never spend your money before you have earned it. 4. Never buy what you don't want because it is cheap. 5. Pride costs more than hunger, thirst and cold. 6. We seldom report of having eaten too little. 7. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly. 8. How much pain evils have cost us that have never happened. 9. Take things always by the smooth handle. 10. When angry, count to ten before you speak, if very angry, count to a hundred. By: Thomas Jefferson “If your presence isn’t impactful in the lives of others then your absence doesn’t matter.” - Teresa Weatherspoon
How does your presence positively impact the lives of others? “A warrior feeds his body; he trains it; works on it. Where he lacks knowledge, he studies. But above all he must believe. He must believe in his strength of will, of purpose, of heart and soul.” - David Gemmell
What beliefs do you hold most important? “When you’re the best, you don’t compare yourself against others; you compare yourself against the impossible.” - Erwin Raphael McManus
What looks impossible for you right now? Courage
COURAGE isn’t a brilliant dash, A daring deed in a moment’s flash; It isn’t an instantaneous thing Born of despair with a sudden spring It isn’t a creature of flickered hope Or the final tug of some slipping rope; But it’s something deep in the soul of man That is working always to serve some plan. COURAGE isn’t the last resort In the work of life or the game of sport; It isn’t a thing that a man can call At some future time when he’s apt to fall. If he hasn’t it now, he will have it not When the strain is great and the pace is hot. For who would strive for a distant goal Must always have courage within his soul. COURAGE isn’t a dazzling light That flashes and passes away from sight; It’s a slow unwavering ingrained trait With the patience to work and the strength to wait. It’s part of a man when his skies are blue, It’s part of him when he has work to do. The brave man is never freed of it, He has it when there is no need of it. COURAGE was never designed for show; It isn’t a thing that can come or go; It’s written in victory and defeat And every trial; a man may meet. It is part of his hours, his days and his years, Back of his smiles, and behind his tears. COURAGE is more than a daring deed, It’s the breath of life and a strong man’s creed. By Edgar Albert Guest “Fame is what you do for yourself; greatness is what you do for others.” - Erwin Raphael McManus
How can you be both famous and great? “You can’t change where you started, but you can change the direction you are going. It’s not what you are going to do, but it’s what you are doing now that counts.” - Napoleon Hill
Is it time for a course correction in your life? Help me, O Lord, to remember that three feet make one yard, sixteen ounces one pound, four quarts one gallon and sixty minutes one hour. Help me to do business on the square. Make me sympathetic toward the person who has broken in the struggle. Keep me from taking an unfair advantage of the weak, or from selling my self-respect for a profit. Blind my eyes to the petty faults of others, but reveal to me my own. Deafen my ears to the rustle of unholy skirts, and help me to live, day by day, in such a way that I shall be able to look across the table at my family who is such a blessing to me, and have nothing to conceal.
And when comes the sound of low music, the scent of sweet flowers, and the crunch of footsteps on the gravel, make the ceremony short, and the epitaph simple - "Here lies a person . . . one who was of service to others. By: A.A. Larsen |
Author & SpeakerTerry is a sought after speaker who believes in the power of a story to motivate, inspire, and help others lead their uncommon and extraordinary lives. By combining his twelve-year cancer journey with his diverse business, athletic coaching, and hostage negotiating expertise, he delivers compelling yet relatable presentations for conferences, on-line events, panels, meetings, and seminars. Archives
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