And now, before me, is a powerful pictorial representation of my life, seen from perspective of blessing. Proust said it, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." Hallelujah!

(c) M. Killoran, 2004

A good friend of mine has a business that he has worked diligently on for over five years. He knows that his business has potential to increase sales tenfold. However to do so, he also knows that he has to probably break mold that got him where he is today, and create a different blueprint. While many would envy his current success, try to imagine courage it takes to step into unknown to pursue a level of growth dictated only by intention that you know it is doable. This is a committed philosophy of perseverance. Sticktoitivity!

Basketball legend Michael Jordan stated it this way in one of his shoe advertisements: “I’ve missed more than nine thousand shots in my career. I’ve lost almost three hundred games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” A fitting tribute to tribute to persistence. Sticktoitivity!

The one thing I can guarantee is that LIFE will test your resolve and commitment. It’s way universe works. Here are some examples of famous setbacks who demonstrated that they understood “sticktoitivity.” ·Decca Records rejected Beatles claiming they didn’t like their sound and guitar music was on way out. ·Fred Smith founder of Federal Express received a grade of C on his senior thesis outlining concept for Federal Express. The professor claimed idea was not feasible. ·When Thomas Edison was a boy his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything. ·F.W. Woolworth got a job in a dry goods store when he was 21, but his employer would not let him wait on customers because he "didn't have enough good sense." ·Western Union rejected telephone when Alexander Graham Bell offered them rights of manufacture and distribution. They considered technology as having too many shortcomings. ·Dr. Seuss was rejected by numerous publishers who claimed that verse and fantasy would not sell. ·A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had no good ideas. ·Winston Churchill failed 6th grade. ·Steven Spielberg dropped out of high school in his sophomore year. He was persuaded to come back and placed in a learning disabled class. He lasted a month and dropped out of school forever. * Albert Einstein spoke haltingly for first nine years of his life. His grades in school were so poor that a teacher asked him to quit, saying, 'Einstein, you will never amount to anything.'"

…”Fall seven times; stand up eight.” Have you ever defined “success” or “failure” on your own terms. I highly recommend doing so. It certainly creates a sense of understanding, focus and purpose in your life. Sometimes success is learning how to fail. Sometimes success is overcoming obstacles that define failure. Sometimes all you need to succeed is sticktoitivity. The only failure is not learning anything from experience. Here’s to you standing up on eighth time!