“The most interesting thing…”

“The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with which it sticks to its job.”

-Napoleon Hill, American Author

Photo from Flicker by U.S. Embassy The Hague

Photo from Flicker by U.S. Embassy The Hague

Napoleon Hill, an American author born in 1883, was a pioneer in the New Thought Movement, and one of the earliest producers of personal success literature. His work, which includes his classic Think and Grow Rich, examines the power of personal beliefs as a critical catalyst in personal achievement.

Although at the time of his birth, the United States Postal Service was 100 years old, I’m sure the postage stamp choices were fairly limited. Today, in addition to the “forever” stamp which will always provide an adequate amount of postage for a first class letter, we have a wide variety of stamp images to choose from. We also have the option to customize postage stamps with our company logo or whatever image we choose. It’s astounding.

EXERCISE:

How can you create a unique life stamp for yourself, and persistently stick with this task as the foundation of your current and future successes?

Take Another Step

“If you take another step, and another, you will be surprised to know how far you can go from the point you thought was the end.”

– Marc and Angel, personal development writers

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Image from Flickr by Bods

Whether it’s taking one more step or going the extra mile, the power of persistence is without question a key to success. Being persistent helps build self-confidence. Once you know you can make it through one struggle, you’re more likely to take that next step in other areas of your life.

A good friend once told me that what stops most people is … stopping. What if we simply didn’t buy in to a life of ease and convenience, and tapped into our own personal grit and character to keep going, stay the course, and finish strong on those things that matter most?

Exercise:

What issues, challenges or struggles are you currently facing that would most benefit from taking the next step and then another until you arrive victorious?

The Seeds You Plant

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.”

– Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish novelist and poet

image from Flickr by Andrew Shieh

image from Flickr by Andrew Shieh

Harvest time is only a small part of the growing season. My wife and I grew tomatoes last summer, and really enjoyed harvesting them at the end of August.

The process of growing them, though, was a bit more involved and time consuming than we expected. It included purchasing seeds, preparing the soil, watering, providing sunlight, adding plant food, watering, adding more plant food, more watering… you get the idea!

Exercise:

What seeds can you plant today? What care and attention will they need daily, so that you can have a successful harvest in the future?

Make sure you enjoy the process of gardening and not just the sweet fruits of life.