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Good Morning. Here is a great thought for the day:

EVEN WITH GOALS, passion, and purpose in our lives, we're all faced with adversity... and how we react to adversity will dictate our success or failure. There are many roadblocks, detours, and potholes along the way. Sometimes your courage may wane, and your heart may doubt. You'll want to quit. You'll need all the help you can find to get through these difficult times.

I know because, as an entrepreneur living my dream, I've been there. Some of the greatest inspirations that I draw on during tough times are examples from those who have gone before me. People who have faced setbacks, and yet had the courage and the strength to persevere... to hang on while the storms blew through.

Persistence kept Walt Disney pursuing his dreams, despite having to declare bankruptcy five times.

Although Helen Keller had every reason in the world to feel sorry for herself, she chose not to. Her persistence despite overwhelming odds still gives inspiration to millions of people.

The example of Abe Lincoln, however, provides some of my greatest motivation. His setbacks were devastating. He failed in business in 1831. He was defeated for state legislature in 1832. He tried another business in '33. It failed. His fiancé died in '35. He had a nervous breakdown in '36. In '43 he ran for Congress and was defeated. He tried again in '48 and was defeated again. He tried running for the Senate in '55. He lost. The next year he ran for vice president and lost. In '59 he ran for Senate again and was defeated again. Finally in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the sixteenth president of the United States, and you know the rest of the story.

Mark Victor Hanson was co-author of Chicken Soup For The Soul. He had approached thirty-five different publishers before the thirty-sixth finally said "Yes" and sold seventy-five million copies, making it one of the bestselling book series of all time. Just think, thirty-five people said, "No... We don't want your book." What if Mark had decided to quit after the nineteenth, twenty-fifth or even the thirty-fourth? Mark's unwavering passion for the project gave him the fuel and the courage to persevere. And, as a result, hundreds of positive, real life stories have inspired millions of people.

Passion, belief, and self-trust are the fuel for a positive attitude that causes us to be totally committed to a goal. Giving up is not an option.

Like light that is born from darkness, success springs from adversity. Keep going.

Have a wonderful day.

"Each morning is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When the sun rises tomorrow this day will be gone forever, in its place will be something you have left — may it be something good. Follow your heart, it knows what to do."

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