Patience and perseverance

It takes a lot of patience to see something through to the end. It is easy to talk, and much harder to take action. But only one will get things done.

A great city takes more than a day to be built. To have a legacy, one must have accomplishments. Neither of these is going to happen overnight.

Sometimes, the best you can do is to maintain. And that can be incredibly frustrating to your enemies. For it makes an utter mockery of all their might.

Focus on the goal and do not deviate from it. There are many distractions, so tune them all out. Your eyes will be needed to see where you are going.

Keep an ear to the ground, listening for the approach of an opportunity. Be ready to seize it when it comes into view. Use it to realize your dreams.

Those who want will be found wanting. It is not enough to desire, you must persevere. Be prepared for when that awaited moment finally arrives.

The best teacher

As the years go by, I am reminded that what does not last remains in the past. So many things fall by the wayside. What is important is what endures.

Wounds can be healed with the passage of time. Even the deepest of pains has a tendency to diminish. And one day it has dwindled to but a memory.

It does no good to dwell on our mistakes. Learn from them, and then just keep going. Fixating on such things merely leaves us in a fixed position.

If we lose our momentum, we will return to bad habits. The clock turns back for a repeat performance. This one will be no better than the last.

As teachers go, experience is the best. You have already seen how the story will end. But it is not finished until the final chapter has been written.

Our every day adds another page. Life does love its tragedies, but hopes for better. And a triumph is there somewhere waiting for someone to earn it.

Making a difference

One's greatest opponent is their self. The most wicked acts are born of selfishness. People will sacrifice anyone just to get what they want.

The selfless end up serving those who are not. They become the pawns in someone else's game. And just like in chess, they are readily expended.

Look out for others, but not to your own exclusion. We learn to care by caring about ourselves. Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

In a world that takes, be the one who gives. Let your every moment be a blessing to those around you. In a sea of sameness, make a difference.

You may never know what effect you have. Some will see it, and some will turn away. Creatures of darkness cannot stand the shining of a light.

It is through our own eyes that we see the world. An honest heart will behold it clearly. Use that vision to make things better than you know.

Hearing the song

There are things we do just because we love to do them. Somehow, they become a part of us. Even when the music ends, we still hear the song.

Obstacles are put in our path, some that seem insurmountable. Yet, our passions push us to overcome. And then, we get past what is in our way.

It is not through vainglory that we attempt to do the impossible. Something deeper inspires us to persevere. That is why we cannot be stopped.

Money and power will only take you so far. Once they are attained, the victory will ring hollow. For such things cannot motivate one to endure.

Often, success is the prelude to despair. When what one wants fails to satisfy, what is left? You only really have what you have brought with you.

Passion is like the mythical bird, constantly returning from the ashes. To fly, you need only to spread your wings. Up in the clouds, one soars free.