struggle

Keep Going ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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Is the goal distant, and troubled the road,
   And the way long?
   And heavy your load?
Then gird up your courage, and say ‘I am strong,’
   And keep going.

Is the work weary, and endless the grind
   And petty the pay?
   Then brace up your mind
And say ‘Something better is coming my way,’
   And keep doing.

Is the drink bitter life pours in your cup—
   Is the taste gall?
   Then smile and look up
And say ‘God is with me whatever befall,’
   And keep trusting.

Is the heart heavy with hope long deferred,
   And with prayers that seem vain?
   Keep saying the word—
And that which you strive for you yet shall attain.
   Keep praying.

Worthwhile ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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It is easy enough to be pleasant,
    When life flows by like a song,
  But the man worth while is one who will smile,
    When everything goes dead wrong.
  For the test of the heart is trouble,
    And it always comes with the years,
  And the smile that is worth the praises of earth,
    Is the smile that shines through tears.

  It is easy enough to be prudent,
    When nothing tempts you to stray,
  When without or within no voice of sin
    Is luring your soul away;
  But it’s only a negative virtue
    Until it is tried by fire,
  And the life that is worth the honor on earth,
    Is the one that resists desire.

  By the cynic, the sad, the fallen,
    Who had no strength for the strife,
  The world’s highway is cumbered to-day,
    They make up the sum of life.
  But the virtue that conquers passion,
    And the sorrow that hides in a smile,
  It is these that are worth the homage on earth
    For we find them but once in a while.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Never Quit ~ Quote by Abraham Lincoln

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“The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.” – Abraham Lincoln 


“The Way of It” Poem by Grantland Rice

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The Way Of It 

‘THERE are roads that lead through valleys where the
grass is soft and green ;
There are lanes that lead through morning where the
friendly maples lean;
But for those who face the battle where the far height
holds its thrill

The only goal worth finding
Where the rock-filled road is winding,
Where the heavy burden’s binding,
Is the goal upon a hill.

We may think of life as something that is built up from
a dream;
We may hear old songs that call us where the shafts of
morning stream;
But the storms beyond are waiting for the raw, un-
conquered will,

And though hearts and hopes are breaking
As we come to bitter waking,
Yet the only road worth taking
Is the road that leads uphill. 

Grantland Rice

William Faulkner on Writing from the Heart

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My Name Is Trouble ~ Poem by Grantland Rice

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My Name Is Trouble

My name is Trouble—I’m a busy bloke— I am the test of Courage—and of Class—
I bind the coward to a bitter yoke,
I drive the craven from the crowning pass;
Weaklings I crush before they come to fame; But as the red star guides across the night,
I train the stalwart for a better game; I drive the brave into a harder fight.
My name is Hard Luck—the wrecker of rare dreams— I follow all who seek the open fray;
I am the shadow where the far light gleams For those who seek to know the open way;
Quitters I break before they reach the crest,
But where the red field echoes with the drums,
I build the fighter for the final test
And mold the brave for any drive that comes.
My name is Sorrow—I shall come to all To block the surfeit of an endless joy;
Along the Sable Road I pay my call Before the sweetness of success can cloy;
And weaker souls shall weep amid the throng And fall before me, broken and dismayed;
But braver hearts shall know that I belong And take me in, serene and unafraid.
My name’s Defeat—but through the bitter fight,
To those who know, I’m something more than friend;
For I can build beyond the wrath of might And drive away all yellow from the blend;
For those who quit, I am the final blow,
But for the brave who seek their chance to learn,
I show the way, at last, beyond the foe,
To where the scarlet flames of triumph burn.

Today’s Quote on Resilience by Maya Angelou

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You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.

Maya Angelou

You Have The Right Stuff

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We all want to be successful. It’s what healthy people want to do regardless of their endeavor. Not everyone, however, wants to pay the price to be successful. It takes hard work. It takes facing down discouragement. It takes the courage to struggle against the pain and press on. You have the right stuff inside you to be successful. YES, you do. Call on it. Fight on. Fight on. Enjoy this brief Vimeo video to inspire you.  

SUCCESS comes with ATTITUDE – "Motivational Video" from Attitude on Vimeo.

Ten More Pedals

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My family and I lived near the center of a small, western Massachusetts town for ten years. The center of the town perched on top a steep hill. The road running north and south was Jabish Road. We all dubbed the hill, Jabish Hill. It is a very steep hill that stretches for nearly a half mile on either side of the center of the town.

We were a physically active family. If we weren’t walking, or hiking in a nearby state area, we were riding our bicycles. Riding our bicycles up Jabish Hill taught me a lesson that stays with me today and sustains me in times of struggle.

When I took our five daughters bicycle riding, I rode in the rear keeping an eye on them and hollering out directions – they might say commands or orders. The one ride they didn’t like was a circle route that ended up with us cycling up Jabish Hill. The first time we went on the ride,  I said as we began the climb, “Don’t quit, just count ten pedals. That’s all. Ten pedals. You can do it.” We all made ten pedals. Then I said, “Ten more pedals. I know it’s hard. But doing ten pedals is something we can do.” We did ten pedals over and again until we made it to the top of Jabish Hill. We all felt good about our accomplishment. The girls gained confidence. After the first bicycle ride up Jabish Hill, the girls knew to do ten pedals over and again. It was the way you made it to the top.

Ten pedals, over and again, is the way I am learning to live alone, move forward, and enjoy life and tell suffering and grieving, they won’t have the last word with me.

 

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