I recognize that each day I am tested by life. If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed. I will persist until I succeed. I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner. Always will I take another step. If that is no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult. I will persist until I succeed. I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends green grass grows. Each misfortune and each heartache will carry in it the seed of tomorrow's good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once. I will persist until I succeed. I will try, and try, and try again. So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. If I persist long enough I will win. I will persist. I will win.
***
I walked for two hours from downtown Chicago to home on Irving park last night after working for twelve hours standing on my feet and I had the best conversation I have had in a few years. It was so inspiring, so soul lifting that even on no food and 4 hours of sleep I am skating by on an emotional high that is one thousand fold greater than any artificial substance could bring and it has given me more energy and vigor and will power and confidence and excitement than I have felt in a long, long time. I have no illusions about the slim chances of my goals being achieved but I believe in miracles and I know that someday, maybe not even in this lifetime I will succeed. Here is why: I will greet everyday with Love in my heart. I will look on all things with Love and I will be born again. If I have no other qualities I can succeed with Love alone. For true Love is my greatest ally, and a powerful ally it is.
