Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President, once said:
“Nothing in this 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 failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
We all know that there will be some failures and setbacks in our lives. 90% of it will be out of our control. However, what we can control is how we deal with it and grow from it. Our monument business has been a good teacher of this to my family and me. Our company was started in 1928, the stock market crashed in the fall of 1929, the great depression began and lasted for 4 years. Banks, factories, and businesses of all sizes closed their doors leaving millions of Americans jobless and penniless.
I think of my grandfather with a new startup business, a young wife, and a newborn baby. I often wonder how he even made it. I knew him to be a man of faith and belief and I guess there lies the answer. I’ll never forget something he said to me after a frustrating day of little league and I was ready to quit. He said, “Sonny boy if you think you are at the end of your rope. Tie a knot in it and hang on. Your “Luck” will begin to change almost immediately.”
The message is clean – be strong and believe, you will Persevere.
