Have your ever wondered what mystical power gives some people the capacity to surmount seemingly insurmountable barriers, master difficulties that make our piddling problems pale in comparison, or simply SUCCEED in whatever they attempt to do?

Is there some form of spiritual, mental or chemical activity which gives some people – other people – access to supernatural forces? Does Infinite Intelligence throw itself on the side of the person who still fights on, after the battle has been lost, with the whole world on the opposing side?

There are those who get the “breaks”, who are successful, and then there are – you and me.

Maybe we were successful at some point, in some endeavor, and life came along and knocked us down. Or maybe we’ve never really been successful. Maybe we’ve just eked out an existence, living our “lives of quiet desperation” and “resignation.” Or maybe we’ve never really tried but we have several very good excuses for our lack of initiative – we didn’t get the breaks, we didn’t have the time, we didn’t have the money, the time wasn’t right, yadda yadda yadda.

If you make an impartial study of the prophets, philosophers, “miracle” men, and religious leaders of the past, you will be drawn to the inevitable conclusion that Persistence, concentration of effort, and Definiteness of Purpose were the major sources of their achievements.

If you have self-diagnosed and discovered that you have a bad case of lack of persistence, what can you do about it? Is there even a cure?

Yes, there is. But you can’t expect someone else to cure it for you. If you have managed to be honest enough with yourself to recognize the problem, take it one step further and admit to yourself that YOU are the only one who can do anything about it.

In his classic book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill maintains that there is a cure. His entire philosophy of success, of “thinking and growing rich” rests on taking these four steps as a matter of habit.

Four steps by which you can control your economic destiny

Four steps that will lead you freedom and independence of thought

Four steps that lead you to riches, in small or great quantities

Four steps that lead the way to power, fame, and worldly recognition, if that is
what you want

Four steps which guarantee that you will get the favorable “breaks”

Four steps that can turn your dreams into physical realities

Four steps that will lead you out of quiet desperation and resignation

Four steps that will lead you to mastery of fear, discouragement, and indifference

Here’s even better news: these four simple steps that require little intelligence and but little time or effort. Sounds like a perfect solution in our busy world, doesn’t it. These are the steps:

1. Choose for yourself A Definite Purpose backed by Burning Desire for its fulfillment

2. Develop A Definite Plan but don’t stop there. This is no time to rest on your laurels. You must express your plan in continuous action

3. This is one time when a closed mind is necessary. You must close your mind against all negative and discouraging influences, including negative suggestions of relatives, friends and acquaintances

4. Even though you alone can decide to take these four steps, once you have taken the first three steps, you no longer have to go it alone. You will want to gather a friendly alliance – a Master Mind Group – of one or more persons who will encourage you to follow through with both Plan and Purpose

If you learn to take these four steps, you will have the privilege of writing your own ticket and making Life yield whatever price you ask of it. What are you waiting for?

Today (February 11, 2011) is the 164th birthday of Thomas Edison, who, with less than three months of formal schooling, became the world’s leading inventor and converted persistence into a tape recorder, a motion picture projector, and the ubiquitous light bulb. Edison himself admits that he tried 1,500 times and failed each time before he finally succeeded in making a working light bulb. Edison also said:

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Edison! And thanks for the light bulb – and the reminder that Persistence is a good idea!

Author's Bio: 

Sara Dillinger is a Baby Boomer herself and a newbie internet entrepreneur focusing on the Baby Boomer generation because she spent sixteen years serving as pastor in United Methodist congregations all over Kansas. Those congregations were made up primarily of Baby Boomer or older members, so Sara has developed some expertise with the Baby Boomer generation. Sara is now on leave of absence and living in Atchison, Ks. with her almost-thirty year old son and two cats. She also helps her daughter, also living in Atchison, with three sons, ages 8, 6, and 1, while their father is in Afghanistan. Her blogs are found at http://www.for-boomers.com.