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Words can be magic. They can salve the soul, touch a friend half a world away or a kindred spirit through the mists of time. A few well conceived syllables can be a priceless gift. Whether you are a tower of strength, competent, confident, prolific, or you are at the other end of the spectrum you will, at some time in your life, need the stimulus that words of inspiration can give. There might be a loss in your life that you cannot reconcile. An anonymous quote on an Irish headstone expressed a mixture of tragedy and joy with, "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." Maybe you've had a lapse in productivity or a lack of confidence. Thomas Jefferson opined, "I find the harder I work the more luck I seem to have." Throughout history inspirational words have been spoken or written, imparting a profound effect on people who were desperately in need. Most of these quotes imply or encourage an effort, action, task or steadfastness on the part of the reader/listener. The words may be serious, humorous or just straightforward, but they all ring true, especially when you realize who the speaker is. When success seemed out of reach and I have been ready to give up, I've often remembered Sir Winston Churchill words, "Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."

Persevering in the face of adversity is the act of making a positive choice for your life. Disabilities, rejection slips and the heartache of loss are just a few of the badges of honor along the road to becoming the person of your dreams. Consider Helen Keller's view of life when she said "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

Sometimes tenacity in the face of adversity is not enough. Attitude and perspective are imperative. G. K. Chesterton considered that "An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered." Bill Cosby saw this from a slightly different angle, saying that "You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything - even poverty - you can survive it." Mr. Cosby charted his own course on the way to success. His explanation of this in simple and humble terms was that "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone."

You can never expect something to be

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