Sun. 8/17/2009 (8:59 PM MST)
I am ecstatic. My wife and daughter Ellie are back from a trip along the Oregon coast with extended family. It is sure great to have them back. I feel an extra burst of energy and desire to accomplish when my wife is around. It makes me think of what Napoleon Hill talks about in “Think and Grow Rich” where many of the successful men in the world throughout history have had a wonderful woman behind them when they were succeeding.
I watched one of my favorite movies two days ago, “The Shawshank Redemption”. If you have not seen the movie before, I recommend it highly – there are a few vulgar parts in it, so pick up an edited version if you are offended by such things. Also, skip the next two paragraphs if you do not wish to be spoiled by the movie’s plot.
*** Begin Spoiler ***
In short, in 1947, Andy Dufresne, an honest hard working banker, is charged with the murder of his wife and her secret golf pro lover. Sentenced to a life sentence, he is taken to Shawshank, a fictional prison in Maine. There he faces countless hardship, including being beaten, raped, and solitarily confined for months at a time. Through it all, he finds friends, hope, and an amazing persistence which allows him to tunnel, with a small rock hammer, out of the prison and escape just shy of being there 20 years. He makes off with $360,000 of the warden’s money and exposes Shawshank for murder and corruption and ends up meeting ‘Red’, his best friend from prison down in Mexico.
This movie illustrates two very powerful things – persistence and vision. The persistence of a man to keep focusing on his goal for nearly 20 years, regardless of the trials and hardships happening. The vision he created of escaping prison with just a simple rock hammer. He created this vision while carving his name in the wall and seeing some of the rock fall off the wall. Simple point for anyone reading – persistence and vision are two powerful things.
*** End Spoiler ***
Some of you reading may think, “Oh that’s nice” and be on your merry way without a second thought. But maybe there are a few who will read and have the spark to keep the dream alive with persistence and vision. Do not give up, no matter your circumstance. You can do it!
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