QUOTE of the WEEK: 
"Find out who you are and do it on purpose."
-- Dolly Parton
 
"What I have in my heart and soul must find a way out. That is the reason for music . . ."
-- Beethoven
 
 

STORY for Your WEEK
Commitment
By Olehile Fischer Thataone

I will never forget what my old headmaster told taught me. Normally when you are only 15 years of age you do not remember most of the things that are preached by your teachers. But, this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.

It was a normal Monday morning at an assembly, and he was addressing the students on important things in life and about committing ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:

An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.

His house was filthy, and emitted a foul odor. The neighbors could not stand the smell anymore, so they summoned the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and explored the home. There were small bags of money all over that the old man had collected over the years.

The police counted the money, and soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house in anticipation to discussing the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was told by one the officers that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.

He said nothing at all; he eventually went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg.

Obviously, this old man had no great plans, auspicious dreams or significant goals. We learn nothing from this story other than the results of staying focused on the things we enjoy doing.  We learn about commitment.

We should remain true to our course; which may mean committing ourselves to things that people around us would normally disapprove. Let nothing distract us from being happy, let nothing else determine our fate, but ourselves.

What makes us happy is what matters in the end, not what we acquire.
 
MORE QUOTES FOR YOUR WEEK:
"The surest way not to fail is to determine to succeed."
Richard B. Sheridan
 
"People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to."
George Allen
 
"If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through."
Rosalyn Carter
 
"There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul."
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
 
"Do what you can,
with what you have,
where you are."
Theodore Roosevelt
 
"So long as there is breath in me, that long I will persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles on success; if I persist long enough I will win."
Og Mandino

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