Article Title: Live Your Dream through overcoming Obstacles and Never Ever Quit (from "Inspirational Books")
Submitted by: Craig Lock
Category/Subject: Inspiration, inspirational books, inspirational writing, success, personal growth, motivation, persistence, dreams.
Web Site: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4

The submitter's lists of blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) is at http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com

Other Articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981
(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, spiritual, 'spiritual writings' (how 'airey-fairey'), words of inspiration and money management, how boring now, craig

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We hope that the following article may be informative and helpful to your e-zine readers, or on your web site. If it helps others "out there" in any way, then we're very happy. This article (as with all my articles) may be freely published, electronically or in print.

"We share what we know, so that we all may grow."

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LIVE YOUR DREAM THROUGH OVERCOMING OBSTACLES AND NEVER EVER QUIT (FROM "INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS")

* “The characters seem to represent the virtues and the resilience of the ‘little’ people, a story (or stories) to which we can all relate. In essence it’s about hope and faith: a tale (and tales) of the unquenchable spirit of tenacity in battling on, no matter what are our circumstances. And then eventually finding a way, a pathway to overcome personal adversity … and to ultimately succeed in glorious triumph.”

Pascal once said: "Our achievements of today are but the sum total of our thoughts of yesterday. You are today where the thoughts of yesterday have brought you, and you will be tomorrow where the thoughts of today take you."

A collection of thoughts and quotations compiled by Craig Lock
(in 1994) ...

Authors' Note:
Quotations in this article have been extracted from ‘A THIRD SERVING OF CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL’ and ‘CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE MIND: 101 stories to open the heart and rekindle the spirit’. These fine books were written and compiled by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Sincere thanks to Jack and Mark for sharing your "global voice of inspiration" through your work...and most importantly, for encouraging and inspiring me to follow my path in life - no matter what!.

"What you ARE is as important as what you do."

"Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it."
- anon

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right."
- Henry Ford

No matter what path you are on, people (often well-meaning) will not understand and will criticise you. Are you strong enough to handle the critics?

Passionate people, who live their dreams, embrace what they love and never give up. They overcome many (and often seemingly insurmountable) obstacles on the path to success in pursuing their life vision.

"Obstacles cannot crush me; every obstacle yields to stern resolve."
- Leonardo Da Vinci

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal."
- Henry Ford

"We who lived in the concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof, that everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: The last of his freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
- Viktor E. Frankl in his book, 'Man's Search for Meaning'

*
DON'T BE AFRAID TO FAIL

You've failed many times; although you may not remember.

* Didn't you fall down the first time you tried to walk?
(What would you have done, if your dear mom had given up on you ever walking as a baby). No, she waited patiently for you to take those first tentative steps.

* You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim, didn't you?

* Did you hit the ball the first time you swung a bat? Heavy hitters, the ones who strike the most home runs, also strike out a lot.

Now for some examples of famous achievers, who refused to quit...

R.H Macy failed 7 times, before his store in New York caught on.

Harland Sanders was 65-years-old, with little more than a $105 Social Security payment in his pocket, when he started Kentucky Fried Chicken. The Colonel apparently was rejected by over 1,000 banks before he became successful in selling his unique recipe of southern fried chicken. Was he chick'n to keep on asking for orders for his "finger-lickn good creation"?

Mark V Hansen had been working with his partner, Jack Canfield on an inspirational book for some time; however their idea was rejected by 140 book publishers as "unsellable." Today, the 70 books in the 'Chicken Soup' series have sold more than 90 million copies in 39 languages!

TIME and PERSISTENCE eventually brings rewards!

English novelist John Creasey got 753 rejection slips before he published 564 books. A glimmer of hope for me then!

Baseball legend, Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times; but he also hit 714 home runs.

So don't worry about failure. Worry about the chances you miss, when you don't even TRY.

Abraham Lincoln didn't quit. He once wrote:

"The sense of obligation to continue is present in all of us. A duty to strive is the duty of us all. I feel a call to that duty."
- Abraham Lincoln

"The path was worn and slippery. My foot slipped out from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, 'It's a slip and not a fall.'" Lincoln spoke these inspiring words after losing a senate race. He never quit... and so won't I.

Will YOUR name be mentioned some day as not being a "quitter", who overcame almost insurmountable obstacles?

Will YOU quit, whatever you are doing...if you really believe in your "unique calling" on this planet - a tribute to the power of persistence and great faith? A tribute to the sheer strength of the indomitable and unquenchable human will and spirit - God within EACH one of us.

Edwin Hubbel Chapin once said, "Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity." That is the definition of a legacy. Wouldn't you love to do something that might strike a beautiful chord that will "vibrate in eternity"?

WILL YOU SAY, "I WILL UNTIL"

and

"BE ALL THAT I CAN BE?"

Shared by Craig Lock (Eagle Productions NZ: "Information and Inspiration Distributors, Writer for Self Empowerment, Incorrigible Encouragers and People-builders")

"Be all that you are CAPABLE of being."
- Catherine Mansfield

"When I let go of who (and what) I think I am, then I become all that I am capable of being."
- craig (as adapted and inspired from Lao Tzu)

"Every man has his own destiny; the only imperative is to follow it, no matter where it leads him."
- Henry Miller

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how
the strong man strumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have
done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually
in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again
because there is no effort without error and shortcomings, who
knows the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause,
who at best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and
who at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place
shall never be with those timid and cold souls who know neither
victory nor defeat."
- Theodore Roosevelt

PS: Thanks, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Rooseveld for encouraging me whilst in the deep valley of life with those great inspirational words in those long and dark years!

"For me true success may be measured by the fortitude, with which so many ordinary people around the globe overcome numerous seemingly insurmountable obstacles through sheer force of character and spirit. They rise above the severest adversity down the ordinary, yet often rocky, tempestous (and tumultous) journey of life. Unheralded, yet with an indomitable, unquenchable and infinite generosity of human spirit, they are the true heroes of this world.".
- craig (13th August 2004)

"Together, one mind, one life at a time, let's see how many people we can impact, encourage, empower, uplift and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials."
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Don't worry about the world ending today...
as it's already tomorrow in little scenic and tranquil New Zealand

Author's Bio: 

About the Submitter:
Craig likes (no, rather loves) to share knowledge and insights from his life experiences to try and help others in 'every little way' he can... without being too much of a "Mr goody goody boring two shoes" (as he’s lost the other one!).

http://www.craiglockbooks.com

* “The characters seem to represent the virtues and the resilience of the ‘little’ people, a story (or stories) to which we can all relate. In essence it’s about hope and faith: a tale (and tales) of the unquenchable spirit of tenacity in battling on, no matter what are our circumstances. And then eventually finding a way, a pathway to overcome personal adversity … and to ultimately succeed in glorious triumph.”

From the new books ‘Stirling’ and ‘The Prize’.

* The various books (including ‘Stirling’ and ‘The Prize’) that Craig “felt inspired to write”are available at:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4 http://www.creativekiwis.com/books.html#craig https://www.xinxii.com/adocs.php?aid=16831 http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/craiglock and www.lulu.com/craiglock
The world’s smallest and most exclusive bookstore”

* Hard-copies and e-books, fiction and nonfiction: self help, novels, travel, humour, writing, inspiration and money management

The submitter's lists of blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) is at http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com

All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children - MINE!

"Together, one mind, one life at a time, let's see how many people we can impact, encourage, empower, uplift and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials."