How Smart is Ludacris?

Life is hard. Life isn't fair.

Time and time again something happens to discourage us, and we wonder, "Why? Seriously, why continue? Maybe I should throw in the towel."

We all have that ONE THING we just can't seem to conquer or in which achieve any measurable success. Or we achieve some success yet can't achieve more. We all have excuses. 

I'm too ______.  

I can't because ________. 

I would if I didn't have _______.

I once came across a parenting pamphlet with an article about Ludacris. Apparently Ludacris is the "highest-selling Southern hip-hop artist of all time." I don't listen to hip-hop or rap music, but kudos to Mr. Ludacris for his accomplishments. Here's what he said about success:

"At the end of the day, you either have the talent or you don't, 

and you either take it seriously or you don't."

The true test of character is having a great attitude when all is not going well. That happens when we have the right mind-set. Oh, go ahead and vent and whine because we need to purge those negative feelings. Just don't let venting and whining become your mind-set. We've all met someone with a whiny mind-set. Do you really want to spend much time with him/her? I know I don't. Not any more than I want to spend much time with a hard-hearted person or, worse, be a hard-hearted, whiney person.

It's hard to take failure and waiting, but sometimes God uses failure and waiting for His purposes . . . and not just our own desires. If ________ is your passion, your dream, then keep on. Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep refining your skill so you'll be good and ready when it's God's timing to move you to the next phase in your life.

Perseverance is the hard work you do

after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.

Newt Gingrich

It's not that I'm so smart,

it's just that I stay with problems longer.

Albert Einstein

The drops of rain make a hole in the stone

not by violence but by oft falling.

Lucretius

But the moment you turn a corner you see another

straight stretch ahead and there comes some further

challenge to your ambition.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.