A thought by John C. Maxwell from his
book, Beyond Talent (p. 128).
HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to
Amazon.com to buy the book.)
It seems that perseverance is a key besides talent in a person’s success.
John says, “World War I flying ace
Eddie Rickenbacker said, ‘I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think
things through—then follow through.’ Many people like to think things through;
few follow through.
John goes on, “Green Bay Packers coach
Vince Lombardi said, ‘The difference between a successful person and others is
not lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of determination.’
The greatest achievers don’t sit back and wait for success because they think
they deserve it. They keep moving forward and persevering because they are
determined to achieve it.”
He says, “You can see this
determination in successful people in every walk of life and in every age.
Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who fought the Romans during the Second
Punic War, asserted, ‘We will either find a way or make one.’ He lived out that
attitude of perseverance when he led an unexpected campaign that took him over
the Alps to defeat the Romans.
“Talented people who succeed show
similar determination. Joseph Lanier, one-time chairman and CEO of West
Point-Pepperell, Inc., stated, ‘We are determined to win the battle. We will
fight them until hell freezes over, and then, if we have to, we’ll fight them
on the ice.’ That kind of determination serves people well whether they are
running an organization or pursuing a profession.”
He later says, “Inventor Thomas Edison
asserted, ‘Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close
they were to success when they gave up.’ It’s the last step in the race that
counts the most. That is where the winner is determined. That is where the
rewards come. If you run every step of the race well except the last one and
you stop before the finish line, then the end result will be the same as if you
never ran a step.”
So, will you keep running, will you preserve,
will you?
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