It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful.
~ Anton LaVey

Have you ever done anything really stupid?

I’m sure the politically correct among us hate the word stupid.  They think it sounds too harsh.  It is too rude for them. 

They don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but I think that if we don’t call out stupid for what it is, then we will find ourselves swimming in it.

By identifying our own stupid behavior, we can learn from our mistakes, correct ourselves and do better next time.  This is a healthy way to grow.  It is an important skill to develop for living life to the fullest.

Let’s be big enough people to call something stupid when we see it.  Yes, tact is important, but so is growth and excellence.  The alternative is a world of mediocrity where anything is acceptable.  That’s not where I want to live!

What Is Stupid?

How can you identify stupidity?  Well, the dictionary assigns a few definitions to it that I think help to clarify:

• a poor ability to understand or to profit from experience
• lacking intelligence, understanding, reason, wit or sense
• a person who is not very bright or repeatedly makes dumb mistakes

Of course, I think Forest Gump said it best:

Stupid is as stupid does.
~ Forest Gump

People’s actions are what makes them stupid.  We know stupid when we see it.  It has nothing to do with your IQ.  It has more to do with whether you take ridiculous risks and whether or not you learn from your mistakes.

Stupid doesn’t have anything to do with age, race, sex or religious background.  It is an equal opportunity employer.  Despite the jokes about blonds, teens, priests and Pollacks certain ethnic groups, stupid doesn’t follow any such boundaries. 

I Admit It, I’ve Been Stupid

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former. ~ Albert Einstein

All of us have done stupid things and will likely do more stupid things in the future.  Of course, we hate to admit it.  I know I hate to admit my stupidity.  However, to get the ball rolling, here are a few of the stupid things I’ve done:

• I borrowed thousands of dollars at relatively high interest rates for a bunch of stuff that I no longer own and can’t even remember.  In the past, as soon as I’d pay off one thing, I’d go borrow even more to buy some other piece of junk that I didn’t need.  Burying myself in debt was stupid.
• I made several mistakes when I had my own business.  For example, I once got crossways with a client’s wife who ran a division of the company.  It was a stupid mistake and it didn’t take long before it cost me my biggest account.
• I once came up over a hill way too fast on an icy road that I drove down on a daily basis.  I knew the road ended at the bottom of the hill and I had to make a left-turn to avoid an accident.  I couldn’t stop resulting in several hundred dollars of damage to my car.  It was a stupid and costly mistake.

The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.
~ Harlan Ellison

Another great example is the stupidity a bunch of smart people demonstrated out in the Gulf of Mexico recently.  I believe in capitalism, but unethical greed is a whole other matter.  It appears that BP and their cohorts threw caution to the wind out of greed which resulted in a catastrophic oil spill disaster.  That’s stupid in a big way!  Whatever you’ve done I doubt it compares to this level of stupidity.

Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
~ Elbert Hubbard

At times, it really seems that there is no limit to stupidity.  It causes plane crashes, oil spills and business failures (think Enron).  The best way to recover from a stupid mistake is to just admit it, fix it the best you can and move on.

Face the Music and Grow From Your Mistakes

Life is tough, but it’s tougher when you’re stupid.
~ John Wayne

Are our egos so fragile that we can’t admit it when we do something stupid?  I agree with John Wayne about life being tough, but I’d modify his quote to say that it’s even tougher when you can’t own up to your stupidity.  The beginning of learning is admitting we have made a mistake.

If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?
~ Will Rogers

If only stupidity could get us out of our messes.  Wouldn’t that be great?  However, this is just not the way the world works.  Ignoring our mistakes or trying to cover them up usually just makes things worse.

Think about all the politicians who have made dumb mistakes and lied to cover them up.  I’m talking about people like Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.  They did some really stupid things and made the whole thing a lot worse for themselves by failing to admit what they had done.  For Nixon, it cost him the Presidency.

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
~ Hanlon’s Razor

We are all fallible.   We make mistakes.  We aren’t bad people.  We just do dumb things sometimes.  It is in this moment when we do not admit our first, often smaller mistake, that real stupidity starts to take root.  We add to our mistake by failing to admit it and instead trying to hide it.  This never works out.

I have learned that the better thing to do is to come clean and accept the consequences while they are still manageable.  This avoids a simple mistake from snowballing into something really crazy.

Let Stupid Be Your Teacher

One must be a little foolish, if one does not want to be even more stupid.
~ Michel de Montaigne

Yes, it might make you feel a little foolish to admit your stupidity from time-to-time, but this brief embarrassment will save you a ton of grief.  The only person that is truly stupid is one that doesn’t learn from his/her mistakes.  Stupid actions are only really stupid if we fail to grow from them.  My advice is to forgive yourself, learn from the event and move on!

Photo by Buster Benson

Miscommunication is a common problem for all of us.  It happens all the time.  It even occurs when we least expect it and we often don’t know it happened until it is too late.

Making ourselves understood isn’t always as easy as we think.  However, there are numerous things we can do to improve our chances of being heard.  It just takes a little attention to detail.

Better communication skills will help us to avoid arguments, achieve our goals and generally get more of what we want out of life.

Guidance to Avoid Miscommunication

Have you ever seen a person that is having trouble getting their point across try talking a little louder in hopes it will help them to be heard and understood? 

I wished this worked, but it generally doesn’t.  This is a perfect example of how we misdiagnose miscommunication problems.  It doesn’t matter if we are communicating orally, in writing or visually, we often have a hard time figuring out the right things to do to communicate properly.

One of the steps I take when I want to improve an area of my life is to consult an expert.  Therefore, I’ve gone to some of the greatest communicators in history to get their advice. 

I’ve collected their quotes and distilled from them 10 powerful fundamentals to help us avoid miscommunication.  I know you’ll find these helpful.

1.  Never Assume You Were Heard Correctly

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
~ George Bernard Shaw

When your message is important, always check to be sure you were understood correctly.  This alone will avoid a great deal of miscommunication.  This is exactly why pilots have to repeat back to air traffic controllers the instructions they were just given.  It avoids a lot of disastrous mistakes.

2.  Don’t Let Your Emotions Take Over

“Speak when you are angry – and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”
~ Dr. Laurence J. Peter

We are far better at communicating our desired message when we are calm, cool and collected.  In the heat of the moment, we often say things we don’t really mean or say it in a way that confuses our listener.  Always take time to compose yourself before you deliver an important message.

3.  Account for Personal Differences

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” ~ Anthony Robbins

Effective communicators tailor their message to their audience.  Do you speak the same to a young child as you do to your spouse?  Most of us do not.  However, we also usually fail to go far enough in adapting our message to our intended listeners or readers.  We really need to get inside their heads if we want to be heard.

4.  Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

“When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two thirds of the time thinking what they want to hear and one third thinking about what I want to say.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

As a general rule, none of us spend enough time preparing, editing and revising our message as we should.  We also fail to test our message with a sample audience to verify it will be understood as we intended.  How many times have you asked yourself, “What were they thinking?”  Don’t let this happen to you!  A well-prepared communicator has a much better chance of getting the right point across.

5.  Be a Good Listener

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
~ Ernest Hemingway

Of course, communication is a two-way street.  When others are talking, I’m usually formulating what I want to say next instead of really listening to them.  The better we listen and understand their point of view, the better we’ll be able to communicate our ideas back.

6.  K.I.S.S.

“The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.”
~ Joseph Priestley

Always keep the K.I.S.S. principle at the front of your mind when you are composing an important message.  Being simple and straightforward will usually get you the best results.  Your intent is to be understood, not to impress.

7.  Be Brief

“Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much.”
~ Robert Greenleaf

When you say too much, your listener loses focus and often misses the point.  Keep your message as  brief as possible.  Enough said.

8.  Use GREAT Visual Aides

“Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.” ~ Walt Disney

Visual aides when speaking or writing are superb ways to improve your chances of being heard and understood.  You’ll find some excellent resources for designing top-notch visual aides in my article titled I’m Sorry I Blinked and Didn’t Hear You.

9.  Never Pass Up an Opportunity to Practice

“The tongue is the only tool that gets sharper with use.”
~ Washington Irving

It is true that practice makes perfect.  The more we practice good communication skills, the better we get.  I’d also encourage you to invite someone to review your message that will provide honest feedback.  This is how we learn and grow.

10.  Don’t Forget About Body Language

“Saying nothing… sometimes says the most.”
~ Emily Dickinson

Remember, many experts believe that body language alone makes up more than 50% of what we communicate.  Learn what to do and what not to do when it comes to body language.  You can really confuse your audience if you get this wrong!

These Miscommunication Quotes Convey Great Wisdom

The wisdom in these quotes is priceless.  Who better to learn from than some of the best communicators ever to live?  Again, if you employ these fundamentals, you are sure to increase your chances of being heard.  Now go out there and sell your ideas!

What other tips would you suggest for avoiding miscommunication?  Leave a comment and let everyone in on it!

Photo by roland

Need some inspiration to carry on toward your goals?

Give it time!  Things do not happen overnight.  We’ve got to learn to practice patience and persistence if we want our efforts to pay off.

Your breakthrough could happen tomorrow, next week or next month.  If you quit now, you’ll never know what might be. 

Stay the course and your efforts will likely result in success.  Give up and you have accepted failure.

Quotes That Will Inspire You to Hang On

So much of being successful is wrapped up in never quitting.  Of course, we all get worn down and think about giving up.  Therefore, it is important that we identify wisdom to keep us motivated when we feel like stopping before we have reached our goal.

I encourage you to print these or bookmark them for handy reference when your enthusiasm wanes.

1.  Exercise Patience to Get What You Want

He that can have Patience, can have what he will.
~ Benjamin Franklin

I suppose if patience were more common that success would be also.  You’ve probably heard before that most “overnight success” took years to realize.  In other words, we often don’t see all the effort another person put into achieving their goals.  We just see the result.  You are only a failure if you get impatient and start to think you should give up.  Be patient because your reward could come tomorrow!

2.  Turn Up Your Effort to Push to the Finish Line

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.  ~ Herodotus

It often takes just one more burst of energy to propel you over the finish line.  Of course, by this time you are tired and discouraged so it would be easier to just quit.  I understand this temptation, but I beg you to not let it happen!  Dig deep and summon the strength for one last surge.  This is often the very thing it will take for you to be victorious!

3.  Hanging in There Separates the Winners From the Losers

Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.  ~ Napoleon Hill

Do you have the character to be a winner?  Stiffen yourself against the resistance and press on through to claim your prize!  Try and try again until you win.  People that are as strong as steel are the ones that set themselves apart from the crowd.  They know that persistence is the difference maker that will take them to the checkered flag.

4.  Back Up and Give It a Go From Another Angle

Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.
~ Denis Waitley

If your approach isn’t getting you the results you desire, then try something else.  Keep trying until you find your recipe for success.  We often fail because we don’t try enough different angles.  New and innovative techniques are discussed every day all over the Internet and in various other publications.  You may just need to take a run at your goal from a different angle to succeed.

5.  You Are Closer Than You Think

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.  ~ Thomas Edison

Would you be willing to wait one more day before you give up?  Isn’t your goal worth that?  Take things one day at a time.  Don’t let this be the day that you quit.  Tough it out and see what tomorrow brings even if you think it is hopeless.  You can lose a lot of battles and still win the war!

Give It Time and You Will Find Unbelievable Success

Don’t ignore the advice of these successful people.  They know what they are talking about!  If they didn’t, would we be quoting them?  Of course not!  Stick to your guns and you are sure to realize a lot more success in your life.

Photo by joiseyshowaa

Most meaningful endeavors in life come with challenges.  Marriages, businesses, getting an education, raising children and self-improvement are all things that are important, but aren’t always easy.

Giving up is an option.  I know I’ve considered quitting just about everything I’ve ever started at one point or another.  Surrendering to the challenges sure seems tempting sometimes.

Of course, successful people will tell you that persistence is the key to winning.  Giving up is the only sure way to failure.

5 persistence quotes to encourage you in your time of need

Persistence is defined as the ability to continue firmly in your purpose despite the opposition you are feeling.  It takes courage and backbone to be persistent.

When I feel like giving up, I find that reading some encouraging and inspirational words from those that have gone before me helps build my resolve to be persistent.

I have gathered these five persistence quotes that I find particularly motivating.  I hope they help you as well.

1.  Breakthroughs happen everyday

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
~ Harriet Beecher Stowe

It does seem to me that breakthroughs occur just after the darkest period in any endeavor.  Of course, giving up is certain failure.  Stick it out one more day.  Don’t look out too far toward the horizon, but instead ask yourself, “What will it take to make it through today?”  Who knows what tomorrow might bring?

2.  Surge to the finish line

Nothing could be worse than the fear that one had given up too soon, and left one unexpended effort that might have saved the world.
~ Jane Addams

I think those that succeed have the uncanny ability to summon their second wind when things seem their bleakest.  Maybe it is the eternal optimism they hold inside.  Maybe it is undying confidence.  Maybe it is a fear of failure.  Whatever the case, dig deep for another push toward your goal and you might just win big!

3.  The moment is yours

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down.
~ Mary Pickford

Face every day as if it is a new day.  It is another chance to go out and make happen what you want to happen.  I know this is true because I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life.  If there was no such thing as a second chance, then I’d be homeless, lonely and destitute!  Embrace your opportunity to start fresh this moment.

4.  Adopt a survivor mentality

Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else.
~ Brian Tracy

Make the other guy give up!  You aren’t going to be the one to give in first are you?  Usually the person that sticks to their guns the longest will be the ultimate victor.  Remember the motto from the television show Survivor?  It is time for you to “Outwit, Outlast and Outplay” your opposition!

5.  Never forget the tortoise

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
~ Confucius

Remember the tortoise from The Tortoise and the Hare?  He was painfully slow, but he never quit and he ended up winning.  Sometimes we can get discouraged because things aren’t moving as fast as we want.  In this case, our expectations become self-defeating.  Don’t worry about how slow things are going, just be sure they keep moving!

Use these quotes to stay persistent and never give up!

Feel encouraged?  If so, then print this article and tack it up where you can refer to it often!  These words of wisdom help me to maintain my persistence so that I never give up.  I hope you find them as helpful as I do.  Remember, winners never quit and quitters never win!

What is your favorite persistence quote?

Photo by mikebaird

That’s my goal and why I write this blog.  I want to experience the best life has to offer on a daily basis.  I don’t believe this is found in a superstar, jet set lifestyle.  On the contrary, I seek to live life to its fullest while carrying on my common activities.

Life is short.  We don’t know how things will turn out tomorrow.  It is best to get the most from life today!  This doesn’t give us license to be irresponsible, but it encourages us to drink as deeply as possible of all the good things life has to offer.

Words that paint the perfect picture of what I’m trying to achieve

I continually look for ways to capture exactly what it is that I want from life.  I love inspiring quotes which I share regularly via Twitter.  These help me develop and maintain my dreams and vision for where I’m steering my life.

Recently, I ran across the words below from William Arthur Ward.  Ward was an author, educator and motivational speaker.  These words paint a great picture of exactly what I believe it means to live life to the fullest.

I will do more than belong – I will participate.

I will do more than care – I will help.

I will do more than believe – I will practice.

I will do more than be fair – I will be kind.

I will do more than forgive – I will forget.

I will do more than dream – I will work.

I will do more than teach – I will inspire.

I will do more than earn – I will enrich.

I will do more than give – I will serve.

I will do more than live – I will grow.

I will do more than suffer – I will triumph.

~ William Arthur Ward

Wow!  If we started every day with these intentions, then I’m convinced we would truly experience a very full and rewarding life.

What inspires you to press on toward your goals in life?

The words above stir my imagination.  They ignite my passion for life!  They inspire me to reach a little further today.  I genuinely hope that by striving to live as Ward suggests above, that together we can live life to its fullest!

What inspires you?  Where do you turn for encouragement and hope?

Leave a comment below and share it with me and my other readers!

Photo by Tom Mascardo

Doing your best is important.  Whether you believe it or not, people are always watching your example.

It could be your co-workers, your kids, your spouse, your boss or your friends.  All of these people matter in your life and observe the standards you live by.

Your commitment to excellence (or lack thereof) will form their opinion of you.  It will determine the life you lead and the legacy you pass on.

Quotes to guide us in our pursuit of excellence

Many wise people have recognized the value of seeking excellence in their lives.  How do I know this?  They made a point to emphasize excellence by talking about it.

We can learn from the quotes they left us.  Let’s take a look!

1.  What is excellence anyway?

Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.
~ Booker T. Washington

Excellence sets you apart from the crowd.  Most people seem to do just enough to get by.  They try to accomplish the task at hand (their job, being married, raising children, etc.) with the minimum amount of effort possible.  Of course, they get out of it what they put into it.

Want to be remarkable?  Start striving for excellence and people will notice!

2.  You will accomplish more through excellence.

Excellence always sells.
~ Earl Nightingale

People want what is excellent.  They want great food, quality products and top-notch service.  What people want, they are willing to pay for.  When you offer excellence, people will talk, word will get around and your business will grow.  Yes, excellence sells!

3.  Big things come to those who pursue excellence

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude. 
~ Colin Powell

Excellence is a pursuit, not a destination.  You start by focusing on the little things.  Excellence is in the details.  Get the details right in your simplest tasks first.  Once you’ve mastered these, then move on to what is more complex.  Make sure you are excellent where it matters most and then carry that on to everything you do.

4.  Excellence is the best defense against your enemies

I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that’s how I operate my life. 
~ Oprah Winfrey

Success seems to breed enemies.  People want to knock you down.  Being above reproach is the best way to combat the attacks.  Being excellent in what you do and how you live your life will frustrate and fend off those that oppose you.  Do not stoop to their level!  Instead, let their criticism push you to new levels of excellence.

5.  Excellence is noble

The noblest search is the search for excellence.
~ Lyndon B. Johnson

Committing yourself to excellence is noble.  It will make you feel good about yourself.  You will always know deep in your heart that you did your best.  Isn’t this what counts at the end of the day?  When you know you gave 100%, then you can rest easy.

An excellent life is one worth living!

I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.
~ Michael J. Fox

I’ll leave you with a word of warning.  Know the distinction between excellence and perfection.  The quote above points it out very eloquently.

In human terms, perfection often becomes a club used to beat people into submission.  Excellence always strives to lift people up and meet their needs.

I hope these quotes have helped you to see that striving for excellence is the path to a full and rewarding life.

Which is your favorite?

Photo by kevindooley

Quotes with timeless advice on striving for excellence

Wisdom writers from all over the world and throughout time have expounded on the importance of excellence in life.  Here’s how we can apply their advice to living life the fullest.

1.  Make excellence your habit in all you do

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle

Are you in the habit of striving for excellence?  Where have you set the bar for yourself?  We often let ourselves slip into a rut of producing inferior or insignificant outcomes.  This is common, but dangerous. 

In a time when many organization are cutting back on personnel, it is more important than ever to prove you are a difference maker.  If you aren’t putting your best foot forward to push the organization toward its goals, then why should they keep you around?

2.  Make your actions speak louder than your words

“A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”
~ Confucius

Exceptional performance is what counts.  Look at your output.  Is what you are producing making a difference?  Are you meeting your goals?  We can talk about high and lofty ideas all day long, but are we making the right effort to get the excellent results desired? 

Less talk and more action is often what it takes to achieve excellence.  No one likes a braggart, especially one that has little to show for what they’ve done.

3.  Make your life count for something

“Life’s like a play; it’s not the length but the excellence of the acting that matters” ~ Seneca

Isn’t it interesting how some people live very short lives, but have an incredible impact on those around them?  Look at someone like Randy Pausch who didn’t even live to be 50 years old, but what an incredible difference he made in the lives of so many! 

That’s because Randy had high standards and lived everyday to its fullest even before he knew his life was going to be cut short.

Are you investing your life in something significant?  It doesn’t need to be something that will make you famous or rich or even  well-liked, but whatever it is it should be something that you can devote your whole heart to and be excellent at.  Make your life count!

4.  Make a commitment and stick to it

“No man ever reached to excellence in any one art or profession without having passed through the slow and painful process of study and preparation”  ~ Horace

Excellence isn’t easy although a few make it look like it is.  These few have spent countless hours practicing and sharpening their skills until they can perform very difficult tasks almost effortlessly.  They devote every waking moment to becoming the very best in their field.  They make incredible sacrifices all in the name of excellence.

We often want to be that Olympic athlete standing on the podium receiving the Gold Medal, but we usually aren’t willing to go through the process necessary to get there.  The Gold Medal athlete worked, studied and endured innumerable bumps and bruises to achieve their moment of glory.  What are you willing to put forth in your quest for excellence?

5.  Make yourself stand out from the crowd

“Excellent things are rare.” ~ Plato

The person that truly devotes themselves to excellence is rare.  That’s why they are so valuable and adored by us.  That’s why they make the big bucks and deserve it.  For whatever reasons, few choose the path of excellence in their life.  For those that do, the life itself is its own reward.

Become that rare person that is dedicated to doing their very best and then push yourself even further.  Believe that excellence is the only standard worth pursuing and you will reap the dividends of a rich and full life!

Striving for excellence will be a sacrifice worth making!

Excellence will never let you down.  You will always be able to hold your head high knowing that you did everything you could.  People will notice.  It will pay off.  Excellence is not a quick fix or get rich quick scheme, although you will likely realize the benefits sooner than you think because most of the world is stuck in mediocrity.  Striving for excellence is a sure way to make yourself stand out!

Photo by little_frank

Fantastic quotes to guide us in handling pressure

Our ability to handle pressure is determined in our attitude toward it.  Getting our thinking about pressure straight will help us to hold up even in the most difficult of times.

1.  Pressure refines us like gold and makes us stronger

“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure”
~ Peter Marshall

I have certainly been guilty of longing for a life without difficulties and pressure.  I have wished that certain situations would just go away.  Of course, they don’t at least not immediately.  Not until I have learned the lesson I needed to learn from it.

In the middle of the struggle it is hard to accept that the pressure we are feeling is shaping us into something bigger and stronger.  However, this is how life works.  We have to remind ourselves to bend, but not to break in these difficult times.  Fighting the pressure is often what pushes us to the brink.

2.  Recognize the difference between internal and external pressure

“The only pressure I’m under is the pressure I’ve put on myself.”
~ Mark Messier

I don’t know about you, but I put a lot of pressure on myself in certain situations.  Please don’t misunderstand.  There are external circumstances that create pressure.  However, there are also times when the pressure mostly comes from within.

Where is your pressure coming from?  Is all of it external?  Learn to let yourself off the hook.  This is where the Serenity Prayer is especially useful.

3.  The worst case scenario is usually not as bad as we imagine

“In the game of life it’s a good idea to have a few early losses, which relives you of the pressure of trying to maintain an undefeated season.”
~ Lee Trevino

I usually build things up in my mind to an exaggerated state.  I imagine all kinds of terrible outcomes.  None of which come to pass.  In reality, the worst that happens is usually not that hard to handle. 

A failure or setback from time-to-time teaches us a lesson and reminds us that we can deal with it.  If you aren’t failing once in awhile, then you probably aren’t undertaking big enough endeavors.  Don’t be so afraid to fail!

Handling pressure is possible with the right attitude

The quotes above won’t make a stressful situation go away completely, but if we let their wisdom sink in, we will improve our ability to handle pressure.  We have to learn to let go of the things we cannot control.  Fighting back against the pressures of life is futile.  We must learn to be more flexible and go with the flow to cope the best way possible.

Photo by Orin Optiglot

Never giving up is one of the determinants of success.  It is easy to get discouraged and to want to quit.  However, the payoff for our effort is usually just around the next corner.  If you stop today, you may give up everything you have been working for.  We often need just the tiniest shred of hope to hang onto when these times come.  Today, I am offering this hope in the form of five fantastic quotes on perseverance and persistence from some people that knew what they were talking about.

1.  Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.
~Napoleon Hill

Our hard work pays off when we persist and refuse to give up.  Why stop now when you haven’t reaped the full benefit of your effort?

2.  Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
~Dale Carnegie

There are so many examples of people that accomplished great things only after they failed numerous times.  Names like Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Edison come to mind.  Both of these men failed, but never gave up.  As a result, they are heroes of history.  If they had given up, they would have been nobodies.

3.  Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.
~John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the USA

If we persist and refuse to give up, then we can overcome just about anything.  This reminds me of the old saying, “Quitters never win and winners never quit”.  I know this one is old and a little tired, but it contains so much truth.

4.  Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one-yard line. They give up in the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.
~H. Ross Perot

We are probably much closer to our goal than we can imagine.  What if you persisted just one more day?  Would that be the day that you realize all you dreamed for?  We have all experienced these days in one way or another.  Think about it.  Every great thing that has happened in our lives happened in one day.  There was the day that we met our spouse, had our children, started our business, got our job, and there will be the day that we accomplish our present goal if we keep on working toward it.

5.  It’s always too soon to quit!
~Norman Vincent Peale

It is not time to give up!  It is time to press on.  It is time to dig deep and find one more ounce of determination.  It is time to make the final push to our goal.  Seek inspiration.  Read these quotes again.  Call that person that always encourages you.  Get some rest.  Take a break, but do not give up!  We will make it.  Our dreams will become reality if we just persist.

Whatever it is that you want to accomplish, I hope it is a big, hairy audacious goal and I hope that you persevere until you achieve it!

Photo by rappensuncle