Successful People Do Small Things in a Great Way!

Successful do small things in a great way! Many success stories begin with great failure followed by incredible persistence and winning against all odds. There are so many great success stories, but one of my favorites is the story of Helen Keller and her persistent teacher Anne Sullivan. Helen wasn't born deaf and blind but came down with a mysterious illness when she was 18 months old in 1882. It left her without sight and sound at a crucial stage of development. After years of struggle, her parents were able to find Anne Sullivan. By this time, Helen was extremely moody and difficult to teach. However, Anne steadfastly tried to teach Helen sign language by pressing the symbols into Helen's palm. In a famous “eureka” moment, Anne was finally able to make Helen connect the letters W-A-T-E-R being written in one palm, with the water from a pump being poured on the other. From there, Helen began a lifelong journey to interact with the world around her. For 25 years she worked to improve her speech so others could understand her. She graduated cum laude from Radcliffe in 1904 at 24, and wrote her first book, The Story of My Life. I like this story because it’s about the success and persistence of two people. Without Anne, there would be no success story about Helen.

Something to Think About

I have noticed that in most cases it takes two people to create a great success story. The person struggling and the person who acts as a support person. It might be a coach, family member, friend and someone who wants to make a difference in the life of another. If you are not where you want to be in life, who can help you get there?

Weekly Activity

Who can you help this week? Who can you encourage? Hero’s are not created in books, they are ordinary people who made a huge difference in the life of another, because they care. THEN, they are written about in books!

Words of Wisdom

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained. - Marie Curie

Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th. - Julie Andrews

Let me tell you the secret that has led to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. - Louis Pasteur

I was taught the way of progress is neither swift nor easy. - Marie Curie

Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. - Winston Churchill