"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there." - John Wooden
I remember my pastor making the statement that "the problem with our young people many times is that they want to start at the top." Oh how true that statement is! Sometimes it is true of the "not-so-young" as well.
It is easy to see people who have reached a place that we call successful and be envious. What is not apparent at a first glance is the hard work it took for that person to reach the place where they are today. When we see someone with a doctorate degree we don't see the many hours of study, class time, research, and paper writing they put into that degree. It represents more than a title. It speaks of hard work.
The same can be said of a musician or a singer. When we hear a lovely recital we don't think about the long hours of practice it took for us to hear a four minute song. The person may have been born with talent but that talent had to be developed. I have know some gifted, talented young singers who flaunted their God given abilities and thought they didn't need to improve. Today they are not singing. Why? Because talent is only part of the picture. Dedication, hard work, faithfulness, and courage to continue will trump talent every time.
I am often asked, "how long will it take me to learn Spanish". The question is not an easy one to answer. It really depends on the person. Some are more linguistically gifted than others, no doubt. But the bottom line is this: How much are you willing to put into it? I have been studying and speaking Spanish since the age of 16 and I am now 36 years old. For me it has never been about "how quickly can I learn to speak." It has been a passion for learning that drove me onward. Though I will never speak like a native speaker I am comfortable with the language. Yet there will always be more to learn. I never want to feel as if I have arrived.
Is there something you'd like to be able to do? A job you want? Think about it this way. If you were given that position today, would you be able to do it well? If not, how can you prepare yourself? What skills do you need? What discipline do you lack in your life that would make you a good _______. I dare say if you prepare yourself the door will open. But one thing is certain. If you are not prepared the door will never open. I have the job I have today, not because of the education I have, but because of long hours of study and practice and making myself available to the Hispanic Community. Over the years that translated into experience that got me a job. It didn't happen overnight but it did happen.
It is God's will for us to be content and prosperous and doing what we love. If you have a desire to do something, don't hesitate. Start today and try. It may not happen over night but you never know what the end result will be.
Yours in Christ's Service,
Sullivan Jones
I remember my pastor making the statement that "the problem with our young people many times is that they want to start at the top." Oh how true that statement is! Sometimes it is true of the "not-so-young" as well.
It is easy to see people who have reached a place that we call successful and be envious. What is not apparent at a first glance is the hard work it took for that person to reach the place where they are today. When we see someone with a doctorate degree we don't see the many hours of study, class time, research, and paper writing they put into that degree. It represents more than a title. It speaks of hard work.
The same can be said of a musician or a singer. When we hear a lovely recital we don't think about the long hours of practice it took for us to hear a four minute song. The person may have been born with talent but that talent had to be developed. I have know some gifted, talented young singers who flaunted their God given abilities and thought they didn't need to improve. Today they are not singing. Why? Because talent is only part of the picture. Dedication, hard work, faithfulness, and courage to continue will trump talent every time.
I am often asked, "how long will it take me to learn Spanish". The question is not an easy one to answer. It really depends on the person. Some are more linguistically gifted than others, no doubt. But the bottom line is this: How much are you willing to put into it? I have been studying and speaking Spanish since the age of 16 and I am now 36 years old. For me it has never been about "how quickly can I learn to speak." It has been a passion for learning that drove me onward. Though I will never speak like a native speaker I am comfortable with the language. Yet there will always be more to learn. I never want to feel as if I have arrived.
Is there something you'd like to be able to do? A job you want? Think about it this way. If you were given that position today, would you be able to do it well? If not, how can you prepare yourself? What skills do you need? What discipline do you lack in your life that would make you a good _______. I dare say if you prepare yourself the door will open. But one thing is certain. If you are not prepared the door will never open. I have the job I have today, not because of the education I have, but because of long hours of study and practice and making myself available to the Hispanic Community. Over the years that translated into experience that got me a job. It didn't happen overnight but it did happen.
It is God's will for us to be content and prosperous and doing what we love. If you have a desire to do something, don't hesitate. Start today and try. It may not happen over night but you never know what the end result will be.
Yours in Christ's Service,
Sullivan Jones
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