A
thought by John C. Maxwell (2016-02-02) from his book, 3 Things Successful People Do: The Road Map That Will Change Your Life (p.
15). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title of the book to go to
Amazon.com to buy the book.)
John quotes
Jack Hayford who is the founding pastor of Church on the Way in Van Nuys,
California, who said, “The past is a dead issue, and we can’t gain any momentum
moving toward tomorrow if we are dragging the past behind us.” But
that is what so many people do.
John said, “Maybe
you’ve made a lot of mistakes in your life, or you’ve had an especially
difficult past with many obstacles. Work your way through it and move on. Don’t
let it prevent you from reaching your potential.”
He then
says, “If you need inspiration, think of other people who overcame seemingly
insurmountable obstacles, such as Booker T. Washington. He was born into
slavery and was denied access to the resources available to white society, but
he never let that prevent him from pursuing his potential. He founded the
Tuskegee Institute and the National Black Business League. He said, ‘I have
learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has
reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to
succeed.’” Such a good thought.
John goes on
to say, “No doubt, you can think of others who have overcome tragedies or past
mistakes to pursue their potential. You may even know personally some people
who fought back from adversity to become successful. Let them inspire you. No
matter what you’ve faced in the past, you have the potential to overcome it.”
Yes, your
past is past, learn what you can from it and then concentrate on striving to be
a little bit better today than you were yesterday.
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