Hi Brenda!

It's great to have you back! I was wondering how your trip went.... :)

> One thing I LOVE about visiting the U.S. is
> the amount of great bookstores available.
> And in ENGLISH!! What fun! I always go nuts,
> and end up with lugguage that is so heavy I
> can hardly pick it up.

I agree with you.... Here in Australia, most of our bookstores are really not much to speak of, so in the past when I've headed for the US I've loaded up with books too! (Makes my luggage very heavy, often I have to send my books as a separate shipment because it's too heavy to carry on the plane!) Now, Borders has expanded downunder so I can spend all my money all year round.... ;)

> I was reading in one of my new books (by
> D.A. Benton) and found these short passages
> that I'd like to share:

> "When things don't look bright,
> sometimes to try is all that will get you
> through. You don't quit: you just go on.
> Turn everything around to positive
> instead of laboring in the negative. Keep
> your calm. Even when not feeling 100
> percent, put out the effort. The one who
> puts out the biggest effort
> almost always wins."

Thanks, Brenda, I liked that quote....

Brenda, since you were away you may not have caught it, but recently I posted a link to an online book, Surprised by Success by Jim Penman (a successful Australian businessman)....

During a particularly tough time in his business, when he felt like his hope was diminishing, Jim Penman writes this....

I had a saying from my earliest mowing days: ‘Put one foot in front of another.’ No matter how bad or how ill you feel, keep on taking the next small step and the job gets done.

I think in any endeavour, there are going to be times when you're feeling like things are hopeless, like you'll never make it work.... Everyone who's been successful has been there. Perhaps the difference lies in how people react to this.... I like Jim Penman's advice, just "put one foot in front of another," and take the next small step that needs to be done.... If you just keep taking those steps, one at a time, you'll keep moving towards your goal....

This is something I remember myself, when I get into that position -- since I believe this happens to everybody. Just one more step, one more step, one more step, one more step!

> and

> "We all know stick-to-itiveness is
> necessary for success in anything. Tenacity
> isn't taking a stab at something two or even
> three times. It's doing it 26 times if
> necessary."

Yes, that's true! It can take a steely determination sometimes to keep going.... Personally, I hate to fail! Because I hate to fail, I keep going and going and going until one way or another I succeed....

> So..........keep putting in the effort,
> friends, and keep sticking to it! Your pay
> off is right around the corner. :-)

Thanks Brenda for the dose of inspiration! :)

Experimentation and tenacity, it's a good combination! Just like Edison tried 6000 different filaments when he made the electric lightbulb, sometimes you gotta try many different things before you stumble upon what works, and then you can shout "Eureka!" and run naked through the streets*....

Okay, maybe you don't need to run naked through the streets -- that part is optional! ;)

- Dien Rice

* (Like Archimedes shouted "Eureka!" and ran naked through the streets of Syracuse in ancient Greece when he discovered Archimedes' Principle)....