Here are two more excerpts from my latest book, Simple Realities (The pathway to happiness and success), which is now available at Amazon.com and on Kindle.
LOST CAUSES
She was the runt of the litter. She had hip problems, eye problems, ear problems, heart problems; and she couldn’t eat on her own. She couldn’t even bark. She was in such bad shape that the breeder let us have her for the vet fee. Our older son, Matthew, fed her by hand, three times a day, for almost a year before she learned to eat by herself. We all fed her a load of love. And although she never grew to more than about one-fifth the size of a normal Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Roxy brought us more than eleven years of joy, inspiration and wonderment.
Few situations are completely hopeless, don’t give up too soon.
The only way to deal with hopelessness is to meet it head on.
Nothing would ever be tried if all objections had to be first overcome.
We should look forward to what’s achievable rather than lamenting about what’s impossible.
When you feel you can’t go on, it’s time to find someone who needs help and help that person.
We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we face up to it.
The cost of victory may be steep, but the cost of defeat is total.
ENTHUSIASM
A number of years ago I travelled coast to coast in Canada and to a number of US cities explaining to audiences a major reform of the Canadian income tax system. The first few presentations were fine. I enjoyed giving them and the audiences received them well. Then I became bored giving the same talk over and over. Soon I noticed the audiences weren’t enjoying the talks either. It was only after I remembered two things about enthusiasm that I, and the audiences, began to enjoy the presentations again. The two things: act enthusiastic and you’ll be enthusiastic; and, enthusiasm is as contagious as the measles.
Enthusiasm sometimes has to be faked, but never for long.
We’re not apt to succeed at anything without having enthusiasm for it.
Enthusiasm makes ordinary people extraordinary.
Enthusiastic people get more done.
Enthusiasm sometimes outperforms talent; and the combination is unbeatable.
All we really need to be happy is something to be enthusiastic about.
All successful people have at least one common characteristic: enthusiasm for what they do.
Look hard enough and you’ll find something to be enthusiastic about.
To become enthusiastic about something, learn about it.
To start from scratch you must have an itch.
The best advocate is one with an unbridled enthusiasm for the cause.
It’s hard to convince others of what you’re not enthusiastic about yourself
If you’re not fired with enthusiasm, maybe you’ll just be fired.
If you can do it with enthusiasm you can do it forever.