America was once a country that was full of men of passion who had a reason to fight. From America’s fight for its declaration of independence to African Americans fighting for civil rights, this country seems to have nothing of true significance to fight. America’s last real war of significance was not the war in Iraq, but rather the fight that led to the death of one of America’s greatest leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The assassination of this great leader awakened this country to a vast internal hatred that existed and the slow decay of an American population that was swiftly moving toward becoming a Rebel Without a Cause. Equality became more of a reality, while balancing the economic playing field for most Americans. This great nation is not quite there yet, but the accomplished strides have allowed this nation to have its first African American president. Now what!
Two Men Standing on a Bridge…
One day, there were two successful men standing on the bridge overlooking Niagara Falls. As they were impressed by the breathtaking view one turned to the other and said, “Look at the greatest source of undeveloped power in America.” His friend replied, “No! America’s greatest source of undeveloped power is the soul of the man.”
Thousands of Colleges and Still Dumb..
Millions in America are inundated with excuses and this train of thought has caused this nation to lag behind many countries in education. With thousands of higher learning institutions in America, the overall population is not getting smarter but rather dumber. Millions are searching desperately to find excuses for themselves for their lack of achievement. Seemingly, the only thing the people in this country have mastered is making excuses. Do these excuses sound familiar: “You either have it or you don’t; It is society’s fault; or The circumstances are beyond my control.” Whenever a person has excuses, they are ignorantly cooperating in their failures. To them, it could not be helped or their failure was inevitable. They view themselves as victims of an intolerant system engineered for their irreversible downfall.
One sees great things from the valley, only small things from the peak.
— G. K. Chesterton
Staying hungry
Give a person an opportunity to discuss their concerns; it will always be from a view as though they are at the top coming down. When a person speaks of their passion and desire, it is usually from a valley position. The difference is in the direction of travel; one person is coming down while the other person going up. Staying hungry is important for accomplishment. When passion is lost, the will to fight and persevere dissipates. You will no longer see fighting for something as the only option for achievement.
Giving Up Vs Losing
I have heard hundreds down through the years say that they did not see quitting as quitting. I wonder is this some warped way of pacifying oneself through their disappointment. One day, I was watching a girl’s basketball game and during half time, the score was practically even. When the second half started, one team came out and played the second half with such intensity that it mentally knocked the wind out of the opposing team. The team that lost did not lose because they did not have the talent of the other team. They lost because they gave up and just existed on the court when they saw how far behind they were. When I asked one girl what happened to the team during the second half and why did she feel they lost, she replied, “We really didn’t lose…we gave up.” Another girl on the team overheard the conversation and said, “We fought hard, but I don’t see it as a loss.” Two different opinions from the same team saw it entirely different. In actuality, one reasoned with an excuse while the other gave no excuse to reason at all.
An Example from the Greatest Man Ever
After Jesus was crucified on the cross, His disciples who accompanied Him for three years in ministry and had received the charge to move forward in the cause of the gospel…almost made the fatal mistake of going back to their fishing business. They had to muster up a passion for the cause of Christ so that His three years of labor would not be in vain. It was no longer up to Jesus to be the example of perseverance for them. They had to practice what they saw Jesus do. While three years of being in the presence of the Greatest Man to have ever lived and learn from the Wisdom that created the world, caused most of the disciples to experience uncommon success in ministry and as a person. One disciple seemed to have learned nothing at all. Instead of giving His teacher his undivided attention, he remained self-centered, only looking for what money he could get from Him. He too, received his reward.
Quitting Guarantees Failure
We will one day reap the reward of our lack of passion and drive. If America is to remain great, it will be because its citizens refuse to view quitting as a viable option. You can always find hundreds of reasons to quit and usually only one to continue to fight. Beloved, realize this, the only sure way to guarantee failure is to quit or become distracted by options.
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