What Does It Take?

Recently during a supper with my oldest brother, he mentioned that the only thing that separates success from failure is persistence. I'm sure you could fill in your own examples of people you know - famous or not - who stuck it  out, and as a result, they got a better job, moved into a better home, rekindled the fire in their marriage, reunited with a loved one, set up an event for their favorite charity that was remarkable, went on a mission trip or something equally inspiring.

Whatever it was, whomever it was, the challenges didn't determine the outcome.

Of course, there's also the added caveat of: What's your definition of success? What does the outcome look like? Is it dollars raised? Or illness cured? Or converts made? Does a change of heart or strengthening of character also count?

Last week I happened across a thought-provoking article written by a local journalist who made the point that there were enough people out there talking about change; what was needed were people to actually have the courage to initiate it. In other words, actions speak way louder than words.

But is that always true? Would anyone say that Martin Luther King, Jr. was wasting his time by spending time writing and then delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech? How about Abraham Lincoln? Was he in a stall pattern when he gave his Gettysburg Address?

Maybe the answer lies in the blending of the two - action, fueled by a thoughtful process that continually refines the activity of accomplishment.