Great Achievement is Born of Struggle
(from Napoleon Hills Positive Action Plan)

“Our strength grows out of our weakness,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Not until we are pricked, stung, and sorely shot at does the indignation awaken, which arms itself with secret forces.” Strife and struggle can inspire you to overcome adversity and propel yourself to real achievement. View every struggle as an opportunity for personal growth. It is the struggle itself, not the result, that builds character. If you know you are right, stay the course even though the whole world seems to be against you and everyone you know questions your judgment. When you prevail – and you eventually will if you stick to the job – they will all tell you that they knew all along you could do it…Napoleon Hill

I am going to rephrase what Mr. Emerson said above in another way by saying, “Our strength CAN grow out of weakness IF we respond properly to that which is necessary for us to go through in order to get there.” This is all about our perspective and focus. If we are focused on the wrong things: the stinging, the stabbing and being shot at, in other words, the negative, we will not see the opportunities and prize that lays just ahead. By being focused on the negative, we are unable to sustain the forward movement that will get us to our goals. It often stops us just short, perhaps only a few days or a few more tries from achieving our objective.

Napoleon Hill said, “Most people have attained their greatest success just ONE STEP BEYOND their greatest failure.” Hill used to tell the analogy of the man that was mining for gold and after many months became discouraged and sold his equipment to a ‘junk man’ who sought counsel and started digging where the other person left off. He found the person from which he purchased the equipment and the stake from, was ONLY 3 FEET FROM GOLD! Think about it, that person was only 3 feet from his objective and he quit. Don’t let that be you.

All of us get tired, disappointed, and discouraged. It is part of our human nature. Although it is part of our human nature, it does not have to determine our future. We can resolve to overcome these negative tendencies by choosing a different perspective. This different perspective is choosing to have an optimistic outlook and view of life, believing ALL WILL WORK TO OUR GOOD! We can choose to be appreciative for the fact we are able to try again and again and again, and do so UNTIL we win. There are no amount of times we can try and nor is there a deadline set that forces us to quit trying. That is a choice we make.

This is what Thomas Edison did. He would try ten thousand times and when he failed he said, “I have not failed 10,000 times – I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.” How many of us have tried ten thousand times? Most of us get discouraged after one or two tries, let alone ten thousand. He never gave up and neither should we on whatever it is we are seeking, be it personal or business.

Set your goals and be determined to reach and achieve them. Remember, you can do this by taking on the optimistic approach to life. This means having the perspective all will work out for our benefit IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP…IF WE DO NOT QUIT. View your tries like the baby that crawls, then walks, then runs. The baby never gives up in spite of the times that child falls on his/her chin or bumps his/her head . The child continues to try over and over until success a successful crawl is achieved; then a walk; then a run. We should be the same. Regardless of our age, we can still view life as a child…keep trying until you WIN!

If you take on this attitude and perspective, I promise you, YOU WILL WIN AT LIFE!

Best of LUCK as you
Labor Under Correct Knowledge…

Respectfully,

Rick Cox