Today I was on a flight from Denver to Boston. The Hultquists are off for a week of family time on the Cape. We're looking forward to visiting the ocean together, seeing the sights, and being together. On the way, though, we had a bit of a surprise...
While waiting to board, we stepped aside so a beautiful young woman could board first. As she wheeled past us, I noticed a small grey dog nuzzling her from between her outstretched legs. I had to wonder if there might not be a story behind this scene.
When the five of us boarded, Terry and the girls headed to their seats, and Gabe and I turned into row 10 on the Boeing 757. Seated across from me in 10D was the young lady, the miniature greyhound peeking over her lap. A few minutes after settling Gabriel and myself, I helped her tuck her bag under the seat in front of her and we struck up a conversation. I'd like to share with you a bit of it.
Dr. Diane Dike, Ph. D. lives in Vail, Colorado. She suffers from an extremely rare blood disease called cryoglobulinemia. It impacts everything in her life. Her dog Gracie is her full-time companion, and her service dog, although she would fit into a small backpack. As we chatted, she reached into her bag and pulled out a large illustrated children's book. It is the first in a series that she is writing about Gracie and the relationship between the two of them. Each of them broken, but loved.
She also wrote an autobiography entitled "God Made Only One of Me".
Diane and I spoke about writing, about the challenge of getting the word out, and about her amazing story. We spoke about her web site (which is difficult to navigate, but if you're willing to dig, you'll find a lot here: http://www.dianedike.org/). Diane is active in her non-profit organization Second Chance with Saving Grace, bringing hope and encouragement to a hurting world.
So, what's your excuse?
Diane is cheerful, talkative, and full of life. She has written two books, with more on the way. She engages in conversation easily, sharing herself, her faith, and her life's journey, even though it is far more difficult than most of us can imagine.
As we took a break in our conversation to review each other's work (we actually swapped our Macs on the plane), I got to thinking about how easy it is give up. We quit before we really even try.
As personal development guru Brian Tracy often says, "Never, ever, ever, ever give up!"
That persistence separates those who become successful from those who just coast through life.
What about you? What are you going to do today?
Let's go!
ssh
PS You don't have to learn this stuff on your own. You can have a personal guide to go where you want to go. Learn more at http://masteringyourlifenow.com/