Dreams don't work unless you do.

Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.

APJ Abdul Kalam


I tell this to my nephew all the time. I'm trying to get him to understand the imporance of hardwork, focus, and being steadfast. He gives up very easily and is often discouraged.

My nephew used to love to swim. he was a huge fan of Michael Phelps during the last Summer Olympics. I had him watch the back story of how Michael Phelps became an olympic swimmer. I informed my nephew that Mr Phelps didn't wake up the morning before the Olympics and just showed up to join the team. For years before that day,  Michael Phelps got up at 5 am and swam about 12 hours a day, about 6 days a week. He ate, slept, and swam. That's all he did. I'm sure he wanted to sleep in, and do what other teens do, but he had a goal-which he attained, through sacrifice and hard work. And long hours.

I read a story about how Tiger Woods' father used to spray water from a hose at him as he practiced gold as a kid because his father wanted him to learn how to play golf under pressure.

I get up every morning at 5 30 am to work out before taking anhout train ride to work. Then I bike 21 miles on the stationary bike at the gym in the evening. Do I want to? No. I'd rather be somewhere in Costa Rica or Paris, running a bed and breakfast, and cooking and baking and writing. But I have goals that need to be attained so that I can eventually do what I want to do.

An Italian Proverb

   "Se ogni uomo avrebbe spazzato la sua porta di casa la città sarebbe presto essere puliti."

  "If every man would sweep his own doorstep the city would soon be clean."

     G. Torriano, 1666

      While looking through a collection of poems I had written when I was around ten, I found this quote, written in someone else's handwriting.  I saw it and had to post it on my blog.
       I was going to write a long blog entry about the meaning behind it, but I thought the quote itself was sufficient