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1816: His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them. In 1818: His MOTHER DIED . 1831: Failed in business. 1832: Ran for state legislature and LOST and also LOST his job.  Applied for Law School and was DENIED.  1833: started a business and 12 month later was BANKRUPT (spent   17 years paying off debt).  1834: Ran for state legislature again and finally WON   1835: Got engaged but SHE DIED . 1838:Ran for speaker of the state legislature and LOST. 1840

The only Oscar John Wayne ever won was for the movie TRUE GRIT. In the movie, he was selected to hunt down a killer because he had something called GRIT. Is GRIT really “ a thing” you can possess?   Psychologist Angela Duckworth started her career as a schoolteacher. She was intrigued by students who seemed to succeed (socially and academically) consistently. As a PhD, she studied National Spelling Bee students, West Point cadets, rookie teachers in poor school zones, as wel

The 3 rd century brought us Claudius the 2 nd .  He was a blood thirsty Roman Emperor with a taste for war.   In that day,  if a man was engaged or married, the Roman Government was hands off…they could not force them into the Army. Unfortunately, so many men had died in battle, Claudius was having a hard time fielding and sustaining an army.  Being the tyrant he was, Claudius the 2 nd , outlawed engagements and marriage so he could force young men into war.   These were rut

One of the most popular children’s books of all time is a simple tale of Green Eggs and Ham.  I personally think it is one of the most BRILLIANT sales books ever written.  This is a story about a guy named Sam who is introducing a product to a prospective client.   Sam is PERSONABLE and  PLEASANT as he introduces himself. Sam is PREPARED and understands the needs of his  PROSPECT.  Sam PUSHES  and PLANS  for a Face-to-Face PRESENTATION (not virtual).  Sam realizes, this is no

A son stopped by his dad’s house seeking some solace and sympathy. He said Dad, you just don’t understand how hard it is these days.  Between the economy, family pressures, and money problems, every day is a struggle.      Normally, this dad would say “stop whining and rub some dirt on it!” Today however, he quietly went over to the stove, filled 3 pots with water and brought  them to a boil. In pot #1 he placed carrots, in pot #2 he placed eggs and in pot #3 he placed some c

One of the most powerful messages I have ever heard, came from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.   It is about BEING THE BEST YOU CAN BE, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR POSITION IN LIFE IS.   Dr. King said, when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. Don’t just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn’t do it any better.   He said “Eve

Frank Lloyd Wright once said “An idea is salvation by imagination.”  He is the second most recognized name in architecture. He designed some of the world’s most iconic structures. Any architect knows the exterior appeal is not nearly as important as the internal infrastructure and foundation.   The architect carefully calculates all the loads, how much each floor will weigh, how much equipment might weigh, how wide the structure will be, and how tall the building will be. The

Death Valley is famous for being not only the hottest place on earth but also, (134°F/57°C) and driest place in North America. Death Valley is no stranger to drought. However, periodically, and unpredictably Death Valley will endure an extended drought season. A drought so harsh, that it will actually kill off any surface vegetation like weeds and desert grass, leaving behind a scorched barren earth. Then to add insult to injury as the drought begins to subside, Death Valley