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Did you ever think that all of the great heroes we read about may not have been particularly great men in and of themselves? They may not have been born with any great skills, talents or abilities. But, each of them did have one special quality that we would all do well to cultivate.

A Tough Nut To Crack!

Because of my passion for recording and singing I've had the opportunity to meet some really famous people. And, one thing I have discovered about these people is that they have a "never say quit philosophy." They have a bull dog tenacity that would make a snapping turtle jealous.

A side thought just in case you have never heard; the saying goes that a snapping turtle, if it bites you, won't let go till it thunders. I don't know if it is true or not and couldn't care less because I don't let snapping turtles bite me. So, back to my point.

Live And Learn!

The stories I have been told by these famous people is sometimes shocking and very inspiring. I won't mention any names but one in particular comes to mind. See if you can relate to this tragedy to triumph.

His passion was for music, as mine is, and during the early years of his struggle, to reach the top, he lived in an apartment with no bathroom. After a short while he got kicked out, which he says was not a big loss; then he lived in a convertible automobile with a leaky top.

He literally and he truthfully swears he lived off of cat food in a can for a year. It took him almost twenty years to have his first number one hit. And, that means twenty years of playing the honky tonks for peanuts with no success any where in sight.

Never Look Back!

His story really made me think; how much do we really want success? How much blood are we willing to give? What kind of a price are you willing to pay for that elusive dream that captivates and mesmerizes you?

For my friend that I've mentioned, there was no price too great, no sacrifice too large, no limits he placed on himself, except for breaking the law, he never crossed that line, but he was willing to pull out all stops to have what he dreamed.

His Goose Is Cooked!

His father even tried to bribe him with money to forget the crazy notion of pursuing music. He decided to stay in his leaky roof convertible and, he said by that time, he had started to like cat food. Yuk! His father said; dumb decision boy!

His father asked him; ok, how long are you going to pursue this? He told his father he had placed a limit on the timeframe and said that it was one hundred years. If he didn't succeed after one hundred years he would quit. His father said; dumb decision boy!

Pinch Me To See If I'm Dreaming!

I tell you this story not to insinuate that this is the kind of life a person must endure in order to have great success. But, to share with you that here was an ordinary person with no extra special gifts, just a never quitting attitude, that caused him to be living his dream today.

If there is any quality that separates the successful person from the failure, it is persistence; Not talent, not ability, not education. And over and over I have been told by some big name people how hard the struggles were to reach the top.

Persistence is like the object in motion. It takes more energy to stop it than for it to continue its course. Starting the object is where most of the energy is used. And, it's the same in pursuing success.

You Can Bet Your Bottom Dollar!

Everyone wants to be a success in life, but unless you make a commitment to never say quit, you will have a lot of opportunities to fail. The comforting thing is; life will never quit on us, it will keep presenting us with opportunities to succeed, many of which will look like you'll be up to your neck in alligators.

You may have a problem now that you've tried and tried to overcome. You many have even said, "I've fought this thing so long." What's the use, I'll never win. I have just one word of encouragement for you: Just remember; "Cat Food!"

When I first decided that I was not meant to work for someone else, a friend gave me a poem that I want to reprint here. The author of this poem is unknown, and I'm sure some of you will have seen it and I'm sure a lot of you haven't. It was an inspiration to me when I first read it and I've kept a plaque of it for many years. The title is; "Don't Quit".

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, as every one of us sometimes learns, And many a fellow turns about, When he might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seem slow, You might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than, it seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup, And, he learned too late when the night came down, How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the clouds of doubt. And, you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar, so stick to the fight when you're the hardest hit, It's when things seems worst that you must not quit. (Author Unknown)

Worth Its Weight In Gold!

If you won't quit, your faith in yourself and the goodness of God will see you through. Remember, with you and God, you can turn failure into victory.

Richard Vegas ©