Question: How many times have you been cornered by an individual who was excited about his new eating and exercise program? Did he go into great detail about how much it had improved his confidence, self-image and energy level and how wonderful he felt? Of course he did, and he probably told you far more about it than you really wanted to know.
Chances are good you didn't see that person for a few months, and when you did, you noticed he had regained the weight and that his enthusiasm had diminished, and his life was not nearly as promising for him as it had been.
Needless to say, you wondered what happened. In most cases, the answer is simple: One day, he made an "exception" to the process of eating sensibly and exercising regularly because "one time wouldn't matter." Then, a week or so later, he made the second exception, and a few days later, he made the third because he "couldn't really tell any difference." Once that old set of destructive habits had been firmly re-entrenched, the newer, better way of living was all over. It started with the first exception.
All of us have heard about people who stopped smoking for 10 years and then, one day, they made the exception with disastrous results. Or the alcoholic who had been sober for years and, one day, decided that a glass of wine or one beer couldn't really be that bad, and besides, he owed it to himself to have a little fun.
The rest of the story becomes history. The message really is very clear: Once you get on the right path, stay there. Watch those exceptions; they can be destroyers.
Think about it, and I'll see you at the top!
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Success Is a Partnership
There is an old cliche that behind every successful man, there is a surprised mother-in-law. In most, if not all, cases, success is a direct result of the efforts of the individual and the support and encouragement of others.
Like the fellow says, when you see a turtle on a fence post, you can rest assured that he did not get there by himself. When you see an individual climbing the success ladder and reaching the top, you can rest assured he did not get there entirely as a result of his own efforts. In virtually every case, each person had hope and encouragement from others.
Nathaniel Hawthorne is a good example. He was discouraged and had a broken heart when he went home to tell his wife that he was a failure because he had been fired from his job in the customs house. Upon hearing the news, she startled him with an exuberant exclamation of joy. "Now," she said triumphantly, "you can write your book!" To that, Hawthorne responded with the question, "What are we going to live on while I am writing this book?" To his surprise and delight, she opened a drawer and drew out a substantial sum of money. "Where did you get that?" he asked. Her response is classic: "I've always known you were a man of genius," she told him, "and I knew that someday you would write a masterpiece, so every week, out of the money you gave me for housekeeping, I saved part of it. Here's enough to last us for a whole year." From wife Sophia's trust, confidence, thrift and careful planning came one of the classics of American literature: "The Scarlet Letter."
This story of success can be repeated a few thousand times -- or make that a few million. It happens all the time.
If this is your story in life, I hope you're careful to give credit to those who assisted you because if you do, I will see you farther up the ladder to the top!
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