PRESS ON

NOTHING IN THE WORLD CAN TAKE THE PLACE OF PERSISTENCE. TALENT WILL NOT, NOTHING IS MORE COMMON THAN UNSUCCESSFUL MEN WITH TALENT. GENIUS WILL NOT; UNREWARDED GENIUS IS ALMOST A PROVERB. EDUCATION WILL NOT; THE WORLD IS FULL OF EDUCATED DERELICTS. PERSISTENCE AND DETERMINATION ALONE ARE OMNIPOTENT.

Failure will never overtake you when your determination to succeed is strong enough (Og Mandino); failure is just another chance to start over again, more intelligently (Dan Clark); it’s not whether you get knocked down, but whether you get up one more time; total commitment is paramount in reaching the ultimate in performance (Tom Flores). The testimonials to persistence and determination are legion. Everyone “KNOWS” but few people “SHOW” when it is time to “do the right thing.” Our present society has made it easy to quit, drop out, relax. One school district I taught in had an alternative, to the alternative, to the alternative school. What we teach those students who do not wish to abide by the regular school, schedule and rules is that there’s never a time that they “have to.” For them, there is always an alternative, another chance, a special program for special needs. This attitude does not teach people lessons in persistence and determination. Many of us can remember those teachers and coaches who would not allow us to give up on ourselves, our team, and, of course, ultimately our school, community and nation. They were always there: to remind us to get that homework done; to complete all assignments; to help us do the “extra” things so that we could become EXTRAordinary. Ordinary people do ordinary things. Ordinary people work an ordinary day. Do the extra things to become EXTRAordinary. Persistence and
Determination certainly fall in the extra category; and one more thing:

NEVER, NEVER QUIT