Every Step of the Way

Me and Donald Trump have SO MUCH IN COMMON!

I can't count the number of times I've been told something was impossible.

"Your life is over."
"President of what?"
"You probably aren't hire-able anywhere"
"You don't have the skills"
"You need to find a good man to take care of you or you won't survive".
"You will never amount to anything"
"You are nothing but red-neck trash"
"You are so ungrateful"
"You don't have what it takes"
"You are ALWAYS going to be alone"
"Nobody likes you."
"You stink"
"You are too slow"
"You aren't smart enough"
"You have a bad reputation"
"That will NEVER happen"
"You are ugly."
"You are too rude."
"You are too uncouth"
"You are too greedy."
"You are too selfish."

If I had listened to all that, I would have never done half the things I've done in my life. I would have never had half of the experiences I've had, and I would have NO HOPE right now.

I will NOT lay down and give up. I will fight until the day I die.

And, I WILL survive until God sees fit to stop me.

But...dang...sometimes I get SO tired of working to prove everyone WRONG!

So many times I've heard it...

"You never listen to anyone!" (Thank GOD!)

and then,

"How did YOU ever get where you are?"

I'll tell you how:

I believed in God when I couldn't believe in myself.
I fought every step of the way to get here.

I am not rich. I may be homeless in a month or two -- again. I am getting old. I am not strong. I don't have lots of talent. I am not famous.

But, I am ME. And, I am alive. I am not hungry. I am not cold. I am not sickly. I am not a weakling. I wake up every morning to fight through another day...to say I did SOMETHING productive, no matter how small.

To start over, if I need to.

Success is not how much money you make or what you own or how well you are known. Success is the ability to survive and still love with all you have, even in the face of hate and resistance.

Failure is not an Option

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Today, I will not think of yesterday and all of my failures.

I have prayed for success, and God has given me an opportunity to succeed. My future depends on the decisions I make today. I choose to live today as if it is my last -- giving all I have to the task at hand, and being thankful that God has given me the task to do and made me able to accomplish it.

I will not be afraid of taking steps I have not taken before, of meeting people I have not met, or of experiencing things I have not experienced. They are all gifts from God. I will be thankful that I get to do it.

I will see problems as a challenge, and obstacles as an opportunity to learn.

I will not be afraid of failure, for I will not fail. With God, all things are possible, and even if the road I take leads me in a different direction than the one I intended to go, I will consider it God's will and God's direction in my life. I will look forward to arriving at the place God intends for me to be.

By the end of the day, I will go to bed knowing that I have accomplished something -- whether it is simply taking out the trash, washing dishes, or meeting someone who will change my life for the better. I will reflect on something I have done to be the blessing that God intends for me to be -- whether it be helping an old lady cross the street, or offering encouragement to someone who needs it.

I cannot receive God's blessings if I do not reach out my hand so He can hand it to me. So, I will not remain where I am today. I will go out and search for it. I will work for it. I will give myself to God through my words and deeds.

I will be all God intends for me to be with each moment of today, and I will succeed, even if I fail to accomplish my goals. Even if I fail to make my quota, even if I fail to reach the destination I choose for today, I will end the day in peace, knowing that I did not fail Him. And, for that, I can rest with the assurance that He will not fail me.