Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are supreme. ~ Unknown

I once read a story about a miner in search of gold. He had been searching for gold for weeks, months, maybe even a year. He had kept the faith, believed in his dream, followed through and remained persistent, but the days started to wear on him; he started waking up in the morning with a little less enthusiasm, a little less hope, and while he was out searching for his first strike each day, he started to doubt whether he would ever really find it.

One day he decided that he wouldn’t search anymore. He was giving up. He felt it had become too hard, he’d put in too much time and it was taking too long. He decided that his dream was over. He was quitting.

The next day another man found gold just 20 feet from where the first man had quit.

What was the difference between these 2 men? Neither had any special talents or abilities apart from the other. The only difference was that if the first man had persisted just a little longer, taken just a few more steps, he would have hit gold.

Now this story wouldn’t make sense if they were out there searching in a pile of sand; others had found gold where these men were looking, it was there, you just had to search for it. So I’m not talking about persisting when it’s clear that there’s nowhere to go, but when you have the tools you need, the wherewithal to execute them, and the desire to achieve your dream, the only thing that stands in your way is you and your level of determination and persistence!

If you want to change your lifestyle, eat better, exercise, lose weight, shape up, and get fit, you can do it. You already know that I don’t suggest short-term dieting or quick fixes (there really aren’t any, anyway), and that it takes a commitment to changing your lifestyle. You can start today with something so simple as replacing sodas with water. I’ve also been suggesting the Six Week Body Makeover to you because not only do you lose weight, but it also teaches you how to live healthy (and get off sugar!) and change your lifestyle so that you keep the weight off.

Persistence and determined action is what will set you apart from others who only wish and hope that they could change. Actually, I write about persistence and the importance of not giving up on yourself because I’ve felt like giving up before. I would love to eat whatever I want whenever I want (regardless of hunger), but that doesn’t give me the results that I want. 😕 However, even though I’ve had my own ups and downs throughout my life, I haven’t given up on myself; I sure hope that you don’t give up, either!