So Melissa said she’d hunt me down if I didn’t answer this question…okay, not me specifically, but anyone who happens to be a facebook friend of hers I am a bit intimidated by the word “romance” and “romantic” and I know for the longest time I put pressure on my husband of 3 years and friend for 15 years to be more romantic. The dictionary defines romance as “fanciful, impractical, unrealistic”. I read on in the definition on dictionary.com and prefer the definition of “displaying or expressing love or strong affection”. Jason does this daily in the simple, everyday moments and gestures. From getting me a glass of water when he is in the kitchen, putting the wet clothes in the dryer cause he knows I hate them sitting in the washer wet, putting his hand on my knee or on my shoulder when I am talking about something emotional, the way he looks at me when I am doing something ordinary (like typing on the computer), and when I catch his gaze, he smiles. He is my best friend, the person who knows me inside and out, and loves me unconditionally…if this keeps up for a life time, I know I don’t need the “unpractical” or the “unrealistic” definition of romance as they portray in the media. I just need my Jason, just the way he is.

I had always “hoped” to start my own business someday, but as a friend of mine says often, “Hope is not an action item!” You must couple the positive self speech mentioned last week with actions (similar to the way the Faith is beliefs AND acts.)

In addition to the writings that Betty recommends, I leave one more: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. This book was written at the sunset of the Great Depression and is more a primer for life and less about how to get rich than the title implies.

Napoleon Hill devoted his entire life to the study of success and interviewed an amazing collection of successful people such as Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Charles Schwab and the man who challenged him to collect and unlock for the world the secrets of success – Andrew Carnegie.

The book covers in amazing detail the need to persevere in the face of adversity. Hill gives us a similar quote that “every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent advantage.”

I close this comment with a brief excerpt from Think and Grow Rich:

Persistence is a state of mind, so it can be cultivated. Like all states of mind, persistence is based upon definite causes, including:

1. Definiteness of Purpose. Knowing what you want is the first and, perhaps, the most important step toward the development of persistence. A strong motive forces you to surmount many difficulties.

2. Desire. It is comparatively easy to acquire and maintain persistence in pursuing the object of intense desire.

3. Self-Reliance. Belief in your ability to carry out a plan encourages you to follow the plan through with persistence. (Self-reliance can be developed through the imagery exercise Betty described with the athletes and through autosuggestion – the continuous repetition of affirmations which MUST be at the same time infused with both faith and positive emotion.)

4. Definiteness of Plans. Organized plans, even though they may be weak and entirely impractical, encourage persistence.

5. Accurate Knowledge. Knowing that your plans are sound, based upon experience of observation, encourages persistence; “guessing” instead of “knowing” destroys persistence.

6. Cooperation. Sympathy, understanding and harmonious cooperation with others tend to develop persistence.

7. Willpower. The habit of concentrating your thoughts upon the building of plans for the attainment of a definite purpose leads to persistence.

8. Habit. Persistence is the direct result of habit. The mind absorbs and becomes a part of the daily experiences upon which it feeds. Fear, the worst of all enemies, can be effectively cured by forced repetition of acts of courage. Everyone who has seen active service in war knows this.

Over the last two years, I personally have encountered more rejection than in my prior 37 years, but it has refined the metal that will make my next 20 years extraordinary! I have the conceived a plan and over the next two months I am taking the first steps toward accomplishing that dream of starting my own business!

Just do it.

Steve Connor