I have a card on the wall next to my desk that was given to me last year at my ordination by friends from work. On the front is a quote by Booker T. Washington: "Success is to be measured not so much by the position reached in life as by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed." How true those words are!
I am convinced that we spend far too much time in life worrying about what other people are thinking and doing. The old expression about keeping up with the Joneses is still true today. We see what other people have and we think, "now they are successful." But success just can't be measured that way.
I know a man who could barely read when he and his wife married. He never went to school enough to learn. Today he is an ordained minister. For those who are unaware, it might be a small thing to hear him in the pulpit. For him it is a miracle that he can stand and read scripture before a congregation. It would not be wise for him to compare himself to someone from a "well-to-do" home with a college education; the playing fields just weren't equal but today he is a huge success.
Are you feeling like you're up against something you can't beat? Just take a look behind you and see how far you've come. You might find the strength you need to get over the hurdle. And you just might find that you've been far more successful than you ever thought possible!
Thoughtfully Yours,
Sullivan Jones
