Determination
Winston Churchill said:
"Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up."
Winston Churchill also said: "The pessimist sees the problems in every opportunity. Whereas the optimist sees the opportunity in every problem."
I think of the times in my life where I maybe quit too soon. I see this in other people as well. I've heard that a lot of people who tried to swim the English Channel quit too soon. They just didn't know how close they were to the shore.
I watched a TV Show about Jerry Weintraub who wound up a movie producer, such movies as Ocean 11, Oceans 12, 13... Before that he was an agent for Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra etc. Jerry Weintraub really went after what he wanted.
Way back he had the desire to take Elvis Presley on a world wide tour. He called up Presley's manager, introduced himself and told him what he wanted to do.
The manager's response went like this:
"I never heard of you. I don't know who you are, and I don't want to know. The answer is no."
Wouldn't you take that as final?
Jerry Weintraub called that manager EVERY DAY FOR A YEAR. He called the man who could hardly have been more dismissive 365 times. They actually became telephone friends. And after a year, the manager said: "If you want to meet me in Las Vegas, we'll talk."
The manager also made a condition. "Come with a million dollars."
Jerry did not have a million dollars, and he didn't know how he would get it. He finally found someone on the phone -- I'm not sure it was even someone he knew -- and Jerry explained and asked the man over the phone for a million dollars. The man said: "What do I get out of it?"
Jerry said: "Half of my business. Half the profits on all the business I do."
And the man sent him a certified check for one million dollars!
If I remember correctly, later the man who gave Jerry the one million dollars, somehow made a whole lot of money from this venture apart from Jerry. It might have been from selling Elvis memorabilia. Not sure. Anyway, the man showed up with two suitcases, filled with big bills.. He said to Jerry: "I owe you half." He emptied the suitcases onto the table.
Jerry said: "You don't owe me anything."
And the man said: "To me, a partner is a partner." And he heaped what he eyeballed as half over to Jerry.
Isn't that a beautiful story?
First it began with Jerry's going for what he wanted. He didn't let ANYTHING stop him. He persisted, not for a week, but for a year!
And then he needed one million dollars. He didn't have it. Didn't know how he could get it. But again he kept going forward, and he got it. And then he made a friend, and that friend was the height of generosity with Jerry who had been generous with him.
I love stories like this.
Comments
Determination, yes. One should first well select the goal. Winston Churchill "never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever gave up" drinking Champagne ( almost four bottles a day of excellent "Paul Roger"). No question, a good goal. What a pity, his determination became stubborness and he lost the elections after he had win the war. It was time to let go.
After he lost the elections, he might have switched to Dom Perignon Cuvée spéciale or to Krug brut vintage!
Oh, Normand, let sail together and loose ourselves in this sparkling fancy yellow river of champagne. The most interesting people are already there, while boring ones in Paradise.
I have great respect for Winston Churchill.
What happened to England after W. Churchill, The people voted voted him out. And England went down hill. Great people are dismissed by others, as others cannot see. Yes Gloria My respect for Old Winny is as big as yours. Lover to all Jack
I put it like that: for our western mind determination may appear a great quality, we are essentially achievers. To select a goal worthing our efforts is a matter of intelligence and discerniment ( that Mr. Churchill had in vast amount). As this is rarely the case for common people, we mostly end by putting our energy into meaningless affairs. We are champions in practising “the surrender of the monkey”, jumping from one tree to another, never really releasing the hold and calling it determination. Besides much of what happens to us in life ( see to lose the election) is a lesson in surrender, which, most of the time we are not ready to catch ( Mr. Churchill, who was intelligent, caught it very well and kept going his way, and this is another reason why I adore this man, the first reason being that he adored champagne).
One last thing: let's walk in lightness, there is nothing so serious.
What are common people? Which one of us is common? Who is superior?
Determination is a wonderful quality. Determination has contributed so much to the world. Determination wins the day.
Not everyone is determined about what you or I might feel worth being determined for.
Let's walk in light.
Beloved Gloria, thank you for being such a powerful LightHouse. Thank you for your Vision. You surely are a True Leader.
Loving you
By "common" I intend people who share mass-consciousness. If you want the names, it will take me some time to compile a list.
My sister Emilia, let us all walk in light, uplift and inspire.
IT IS ABOUT GOD.
Dear Me, how right you are. So thank you, brother.
Most dear friends, new and old, I love the story about Jerry Weintraub and how determination paid off for him. Not only did he call Elvis Presley's manager every day for a year, become friends with the manager and get what he wanted -- to take Elvis Presley on a world tour, in addition, Jerry's determination led to a stranger's loaning Jerry a million dollars over the telephone!!! Over the telephone!!!
Jerry also made that stranger a full partner in his business. Jerry had guts. But not only all that, the man Jerry made his full partner gave Jerry half of a good sum he made on something, and this was from the generosity of his heart. No way was the man expected to do this. It was not even a thought in Jerry's mind. The man did this because he wanted to.
Jerry had made two friends that he would not have made had he not been determined to make something happen.
In so doing, he also gave the two gentleman an opportunity to be good to him and feel good about themselves. Jerry enriched these two men's lives, and he sure enriched mine and, I imagine, many many others.