Conquer Your Addiction

If you look up the word 'addiction' in the dictionary, you will find it to mean:

The quality or state of being addicted-compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal broadly persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

Some people who are suffering with an addiction to a substance fail to recognize this fact. They go on living ...well, addicted.They fail to see how living this way causes harm to not only themselves, but those around them. Maybe they get a wake up call by way of some negative happening, but what do they do next?

First, I think a person has to admit they do have a problem. Next, they have to truly want to help themselves. I know a few people who decided to try to quit their addiction by themselves. Sometimes this does work and sometimes it does not.

Accepting or getting help is not a sign of weakness. I think If they are willing to get the help to heal themselves, it is something to be proud of.

If you know someone who is addicted to a substance and they do not know what to do, it probably is a good idea to have them seek the advice of a professional.A private drug rehab may be the choice many make to help with their healing.

Promises is such a place where a person can receive individualized care by a dedicated team of professionals. They provide an environment in which a person will feel safe and learn how to live in the real world without the addiction.

Treatments include cognitive-behavior therapy, family therapy, support groups,other individual therapy and counseling services which will strengthen the mind, body and spirit.

Taking the first step may be hard for a person living with an addiction, but in the end, it will be the best decision they will make. You can Conquer an addiction.

If you want to learn more on what you can expect from a private rehab like Promises, click Here

FREE Tele-Training 1/14 & 1/21

Here's a quick heads up about a f-r-e-e Tele-training I know you'll want to check out. It's being offered by Jane Deuber, an incredible business strategist and coach who has helped thousands of business owners take their business to the next level.

The 2 call training is entitled "Proactive Profits - How to strategize, plan and take action for your most profitable year yet."

I've already reserved my complimentary seat on the calls and want to encourage you to do the same. Do so right away though because space is really limited.
As Jane says, to ensure success in these economic times we must commit to two important things…
1) Growing personally so we can be more effective and
joyful in business and in life.

2) Working with a proven plan that keeps us focused on
taking the steps that will create the greatest results.

Here's what you do next…
To reserve your spot on Jane's f-r-e-e Tele-Training simply click on the link below.
You'll receive the call in details right away.
Click here to reserve your spot!

We can all use some inspiration and innovative strategies for making 2009 a great year. Let me know if you'll be on the call!

Making New Year Resolutions

The New Year is just about here. This is a time when we reflect on the past year and look forward to the new year. I for one am definitely looking forward to 2009. I had my speed bumps of life this past year with health issues, but going through all I did, has brought many life lessons and also positive things that I wouldn’t change for anything. I guess you need to go through things to learn, grow and change; whether negative or positive.

New Year’s Eve is a night when so many people make resolutions or promises to themselves. Are you one of many making New Year resolutions and believe they will keep them? But then do you realize that throughout the year, you didn’t really keep the resolutions at all. I used to make a few resolutions myself, but always had trouble keeping them. Now I set goals that are more reachable for myself. I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment or failure, so if I have a bigger goal I’d like to succeed at, I break it down into parts.

Setting our expectations too high, can make us fall short sometimes. We get caught up in the moment, announce our resolution before realizing we’ve built up this goal in our mind. Our excitement about making a change or a chance at bettering ourselves is great for the moment, but what about in the long term? Will we still feel as excited as the day we made our resolution?

That’s where I fall short at times. I get caught up in the moment and then months pass and I am less enthused about the resolution or change I wanted to make. I now break down my goals into smaller parts and think about the change I want to make on a daily basis. This helps keep things in perspective for me. You can say, ‘the smaller picture, brings the bigger picture into focus’ and I stay interested.

I also use affirmations to help keep me on track with my resolutions. Affirmations provide me with support and a positive ‘feel good’ optimism that often feels like a pat on the back….the ‘I can do it’ feeling.

Here’s an affirmation from Hope Cramer that I found at About.com. It’s a great reminder and one to repeat to yourself.

“New Beginnings are like forks in a road or new blades of grass. So many ways our lives can go…so many choices. Each choice and each piece of our lives make up a part of who we are. I affirm that this is a beautiful new year, a new day, full of amazing ways in which I will improve my life now”

Start each new day or end each night by reading Affirmations.

About.com brings to you Affirmations by the Day or by the Month

Wishing you all good health, much abundance, happiness… with love, peace and light in your life

WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE

To be honest, I didn't realize the history behind women and voting. This surely opened my eyes. Were any of you aware of what women went through to give us the freedom to vote?
My cousin sent me this in an email to remind me. I did need this reminder and maybe some of you do too.

****

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.

Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking
for the vote.

And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing
went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping
for air.

They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cell mate,
Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging,
beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his
guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right
to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.

When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because---why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work?
Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle
these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote.
Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk
about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said.
'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use, my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just
younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in
their curriculum and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so
hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

History is being made.

Why Can't The Rest Of The World Get Along??

My girlfriend knows how much I love animals. Tigers and lions are among
my favorites. I have tiger/lion plates, candle holders, pictures,
calenders and a plate collection.

She sent me this email and I loved it! Just gave me that warm, fuzzy
feeling...Now only if people can adjust, be as loving and accepting...

Here's the Story:
In a zoo in California , a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of
triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately,due to complications in the
pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size,
they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started
to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The
veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress
to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress
could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing
news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to
the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that
had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one
species will take on the care of a different species. The only
'orphans' that could be found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs.
The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed
the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork
chops??
Take a look...

Today Is The Day...

Have you ever said to yourself…Today is the day I will... (fill in the blank) ? You feel energized and ready to tackle the project or even that exercise program you have been putting off. You are motivated, thinking positive and feelling good. You are in a great mood, feeling passion about what's ahead and the choices you are making.

We are in control of our own lives. The sooner we believe and accept that, the better off we will be. We women are so busy nurturing, motivating and taking care of others, that we sometimes lose ourselves in the process. Then one day you wake up and say...this is the day... I AM going to accomplish what I have been putting off. I am going to do something for ME.

But, something happens along the way…after a few days (for some, maybe longer), we lose our motivation. We fade back into the old routine and eventually stop with the project(s) we started.

Enthusiasm is what gets us started and motivation will help us to achieve our goals. In the beginning we are willing to pursue our goal, but then our life, family, work may make demands that keep us from continuing. Throw in not feeling good or tired, new responsibilities and for sure we won't feel the same enthusiasm as we did at the start.

How can we rekindle the spark that we felt on the day we said… Today is the day?

Have a very clear picture of what we want to obtain or where we want to be in say 3, 6 months. Evaluate your progress. Stick to a routine, so progress becomes automatic. If it's the routine that bores you, change it up, but make sure you give yourself X amount of time dedicated to your goal.

If you allow your motivation to dwindle then it wasn't true motivation to begin with right? Just a temporary feeling. So you need to really believe in what you want to achieve. Remember the rewards or benefits you will reap when you reach your goal. Enjoy what you are doing, get excited

If you have a setback, don't worry...get back up in the saddle and start again. Don't allow negative feelings or thoughts keep you from feeling that motivation again. Motivation may come and go, but it will return. Don't give up.

Taking a Chance...

As I mentioned the other day, I hadn’t been feeling up to par. It seems a lot of people are complaining of not feeling well. Global in fact… It seems more people get sick around the change of season. Thanks for all the well wishes.

I believe my stomach bug was accompanied by being worn down by stress. Work drama that I was dealing with on a day to day basis, plus other life situations thrown my way just made me feel tired. I felt like a rock at the edge of the beach. Wave after wave pounding upon me. My choices were to keep taking it or do something about it. Complaining about it or feeling the stress of the situations was not helping, nor would that change anything, so I had to do something different. My brain was yelling....STOP…ENOUGH already…

We truly are in control of our life and what is happening around us. I took the bull by the horns and decided to do something. I was beginning to feel I was not centered….everything around me was off balance. I needed to regroup, get back in control.

I Got a plan together, made the to –do list and started picking away at those things that needed to be changed….one by one. My work related problem was the toughest actually for it included other people causing the issue, but reflected on me. I took a deep breath, swallowed some pride, threw out the notion of who was right and who was wrong, realized what was best for the situation and I made phone calls to the parties involved.

I wasn't sure how this would work, it could have back fired, but at this point I hadn't anything to lose but more to gain, so I took a chance.

I Suggested my plan and I was successful in having them see a new point of view. Only after 2 days back into work, you can feel the difference. The air is lighter, the stress lifted…ahhhhh…much better

I knew something had to be done. Management wasn't ‘managing’ so someone had to grow some gonads and do something. I’m glad I did

My other issues are currently being worked on and I am positive they will work out for the best. Sometimes it takes some thought and looking at a different point of view to see a solution. If what you are doing is not working, realize a change in the way you are handling a situation can bring about a positive result. Sometimes the solution rests with YOU even if someone else is causing a problem.

Taking a chance, asking a higher spiritual guide for help or digging deep within yourself will provide the answers you need.

Do You Fear Rejection?

My young co-worker has had his eye on a certain female for quite awhile now. We talk frequently about her and when I asked if he wanted to ask her on a date, he said...sure, but I'm not.
Why not I asked. His answer...because she might say no.

Well, I was blown away. Here is a confident young man in other areas of his life, but he's afraid he'll be rejected. I mentioned taking chances is what life is about. If you don't take a chance, you will live with the regret of never knowing...the what if's...

Rejection can come in many different ways. Rejection in romance, families, business, friends and even strangers. If the fear of rejection is such a big obstacle, what can you do about it?

Well, I think that if you have high self esteem, it isn't such a big deal if someone you asked out turns you down. If you have low self esteem, I think working on that area will help.You're still the same person you were before you asked. You actually gave the person you asked out a compliment just by showing you wanted to spend more time with them. You had the courage to ask someone out and if you get turned down, you're not going to die. Your life doesn't depend on the approval of this person.

If you get turned down once, twice or even more than that, there is certainly a chance that someone else will say 'yes'...so keep positive. Sure it can be disappointing or even discouraging, but if you try not to take it personally, you'll see you can live through rejection. Maybe a person says 'no' for other reasons and has nothing to do with you at all. Rejection can actually turn you into a stronger, more confident and determined person instead of being weak or afraid.

Its all in your state of mind and how you view rejection. Looking at rejection as a negative will cause you to have negative feelings. Letting yourself look at things in a positive manner will keep you strong and ready for the next time you are ready to ask someone out. Take a chance...you never know until you do.

If anyone has any tips, stories to share on this subject, please leave a comment.

Got Milk?

"Try to imagine your soul as a coconut and the rewards of life as the milk inside it. The more skilled you are at cracking the shell, the more milk you'll retain for greater nourishment. Your life provides you with the lessons you'll need to break open that husk~the more you live your life in a spiritual manner, the better you become at cracking open your own self and savoring life's rewards" ~ Mary Jo McCabe

Have you ever thought about finding your true self? We spend so much time trying to hide our shortcomings or imperfections, we fail to see our true self. We have a spiritual self and a physical self.. The spiritual self , your soul, is hidden from the naked eye. It knows what's best for you and knows how to help you receive from life what you really need. I believe we all can communicate with our soul or that inner voice. How many times have you caught yourself hearing that inner voice? How many times have we listened?

Your physical self is what others see and is open to the outside world, including your (negative)emotions. Mary Jo McCabe considers this to be the outer shell of a coconut, which protects the milk and nourishment in the center.

Have you ever felt off kilter? Balancing between the spiritual and physical can be a challenge. Life is about creating a balance. Getting in sync so you can experience the fullness of your life.

Is there an area in your life causing you distress? Do you overspend, over eat, over react, over work? Make it a point to change this one area of concern for just one week and notice the improvement that happens. If you can do it for one week, you can do it for one month and then for one year. It'll become a positive pattern leading to a positive change in your life. It's all about small successes and realizing you have the ability to change how you treat yourself inside and out.. you'll gain confidence along the way...

Life can be an uphill battle at times with struggles to overcome, but with dedication, persistence and hard work, you can obtain success in what you want in life. You will be rewarded with the milk of life....

A Strong Woman

A strong woman works out every day
to keep her body in shape...
but a woman of strength
kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape...

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything ...
but a woman of strength
shows courage in the midst of her fear...

A strong woman won't let anyone
get the best of her ...
but a woman of strength
gives the best of herself to everyone...

A strong woman makes mistakes
and avoids the same in the future...
but a woman of strength
realizes life's mistakes can also be God's
blessings and capitalizes on them...

A strong woman walks sure footedly...
but a woman of strength
knows God will catch her when she falls...

A strong woman wears the look of
confidence on her face...
but a woman of strength wears grace...

A strong woman has faith that
she is strong enough for the journey...
but a woman of strength has faith
that it is in the journey that she will become strong...

Source:SikhWomen.com

SELF ESTEEM: Don't Let Anyone Take It Away ~ Conclusion

HOW SELF-ESTEEM WORKS

All of us have been conditioned to believe who we are by the words that have been said to us over the years by the people that we love, respect, and admired. If we were told positive things then we developed a high or positive self-esteem and the opposite is also true. If they told us negative things we developed a negative or low self-esteem. Basically, It develops by what is said to us repeatedly, over time- that's it , that's how it works.

is affected by the mind: The powerful mind ! The mind believes what it hears most. If you are constantly told negative things, the mind will come to believe them. It's that powerful !
If you are told over and over again that you are fat, ugly and lazy you will come to believe it. Remember the mind believes what it hears most. Well, the opposite is true . If you are told that you are thin , smart and beautiful, you will be ! The mind believes what it hears most! You can build your self- esteem with positive self dialogue.

Say positive affirmations daily, hourly, and constantly. Do it out loud to your self, in private , in the car, in the shower, etc....The mind believes what it hears most ! The mind only hears a voice, your voice or someone else's . It doesn't differentiate who is saying it. The mind only hears it . Say what you want your mind to believe about yourself and it will come to pass. Feed the mind positive talk and positive words and you soar to new heights. Repeat them regularly and often;never tire and don't stop doing it! You need to make it a way of life. You will see the positive outcomes.

STOP listening to negative talk from anybody about you. If you can't stop the talk then you need to leave! FAST !! and quick without explanation ! " I'm out of here" should be your mantra when this kind of negative talk occurs. Stop listening to negative talk and start your positive self - talk!

I know this will help - good luck !!
Your Friend , Lou De Lorca

If you have any questions or want help after reading this series, you can contact Lou directly. He is graciously giving his telephone number for my readers to use.
1-951-676-1299

Learn More about the Author: Lou De Lorca

THANK YOU Lou for being a guest here at A Circle of Women. I truly appreciate your contribution and I know this subject is one that is important to so many people...women, men, and children.

Many Blessings

SELF ESTEEM: Don't Let Anyone Take It Away ~ PART II

It's easy to lose your self-esteem, just remember
" misery loves company ". There are so many people living a fake life. Out in the open these people appear to be happy and content, but behind closed doors they're monsters and vampires waiting to eat and suck the life right out of you ! They come in the form of friends, spouses, family members and significant others.

The irony about self-esteem is that it can only be affected negatively or positively by people who are close to us or that we care for dearly. We rarely consider any personal comment from a stranger or acquaintance much less take to heart. But, when someone we love, respect, or admire says something personal we take it to heart and allow it to affect us !!

These people have been conditioned to see things in a negative manner and basically their self-esteem has been effected at some point in their lives and now ,they want to share in the negative perspective. When you don’t, the arguments start and the PROCESS begins ! Arguments start over the choices you make, the colors you pick, the way you drive, comb your hair, look , feel , sleep, ETC....

NOW, we begin to justify ourselves by defending our positions and choices. This sets up the barriers and then, the lines are drawn - the battle for self-esteem is on !

An interesting point to note : the titles that people have , mom , dad , brother, sister , wife, husband, boy/girl friend , good friend, can put in question and affect what we consider and affect our self--esteem. When our spouses , family members and significant others personally attack us we listen, and consider it BECAUSE the MIND tells us to . We begin to question ourselves by the mere consideration of thinking that what they said might some merit - otherwise why would they have said it? It must be true since she/he loves me ; they wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true. YES they would !

Their motives can't be explained, but this is how they take your self-esteem , your core self ; when they make the negative remark and you consider it and then you act on it - they engaged you in a losing battle ! This is IMPORTANT ! Re - read it and understand it and then commit to memory.

You have options. You don't have to listen to it ; you don't have to consider it ; and you DON'T have to act on it. Remove the titles and then see them only as a voice in the wind without the title and what they say will mean nothing !! And It won't affect you.

Look for PART III on Friday

Learn More about the Author: Lou De Lorca

SELF-ESTEEM: Don't Let Anyone Take It Away

I am honored to have an acquaintance of mine be a guest here at A Circle of Women.

I will be bringing you a 3 post series focusing on Self -Esteem. I believe more women (and men) need to boost their self-esteem and have the confidence to be successful in their lives. To feel great within their own skin...love yourself and not allow ANYONE to take away your self-esteem.

About the author: Lou De Lorca.
He lives in Temecula, California and is a Personal Life Success Coach. Over the last twenty years, he has studied humanities, education, personal improvement, leadership and instruction. He has worked with university research professors and top noted experts in the field of Meta-Cognition, Motivational Psychology, Business Leadership, and Personal Instruction, all of which are the basis for today's successful speakers, trainers and coaches.
He is the author of the Competent Writer and the creator and producer of the "Winning Life" audio series. He is also a professional inspirational speaker, motivational and leadership coach, a school reform expert and a consultant for the California Department of Education.

PART ONE:

Self - esteem is the main component of all that comprises the self - the YOU ! It's the essence of who you are. Self - esteem is the glue that holds everything together-that's why when you lose it you just seem to fall apart. And it's a downward spiral from there.

The study of self- esteem has volumes written about it but much of it is presented in a clinical format that makes it hard for the average person to understand- much less apply it. SIMPLY put self-esteem is basically how one feels about him/her self. Over the years one has encountered words and experiences that etched into our mind and our mind tells us how we feel about or we perceive ourselves; how we are, which eventually leads us to believe what we are capable of doing.

This is why self-esteem is so important . It permeates all aspects of our lives when it's depleted or gone - then our direction , perspectives and images are distorted , or dissolved. When this occurs one becomes or falls into something of the unknown. When someones self-esteem has been negatively affected or depleted a downward spiral occurs and the person becomes a victim and continues to fall until they are no longer the same person that we once knew. These victims fall prey to drug abuse , lethargy, abusive relations , and ultimately WORTHLESSNESS !

I use the term " victim " specifically because that is what people without self-esteem truly become . Anyone with low self-esteem or no self-esteem are candidates to nowhere and fast ! They are no longer the same people , and their sense of worthlessness becomes a self- fulfilling prophesy. It continues to feed itself from there.

Part II will be posted on Wednesday


More on Lou De Lorca

Hope

One of my favorite movies is Hopefloats. I have watched that movie more than a dozen times and I'm sure I'll watch a dozen more. Although the movie starts with a betrayal, it shows if you follow your heart and find yourself amidst the sadness ~ you can find hope again.

A great quote from the movie..."Just give hope a chance to float up and it will"

More Hope Quotes...

He who has hope has everything.
- Arabian Proverb

Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good.
- Vaclav Havel

For hope is but the dream of those that wake.
- Matthew Prior

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.
- Emily Dickenson

If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.
- St. Clement of Alexandra

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
- Isaiah 40:29-31

Hope is like a bird that senses the dawn and carefully starts to sing while it is still dark.
- Emily Dickenson

Love comes to those who still hope even though they've been disappointed, to those who still believe even though they've been betrayed, to those who still love even though they've been hurt before.
- Anonymous

Victory is Ours If We Don't Give Up !

Outside the window at work, some co-workers and I noticed a baby woodpecker fell from his nest. He was clinging to the bottom of the tree.

He stayed in that one position for hours and hours. Squawking and squawking....finally his mother came to feed him. I saw this happen about 3-4 times through out the day. Finally he started to inch up the tree. The hole to the nest was at the very top of the tree and you just knew that's where he wanted to be. Maybe he hurt himself when he fell. He was too big for the mother to carry him to the nest.

The mother checked in on him every now and then. Leaving for work that day, we all wondered if he'd be there in the morning...He hadn't inched up very much. We were afraid a stray cat or another animal would 'get' him.

The next morning, to our surprise he was still there. Now he was becoming more of an interest to other employees. We were all routing for him to make to the top. He was only half way up to his nest. Little by little, inch by inch.

We left work and returned the next morning to find woody only moved about 3 feet. Still a ways to go.. More and more employees were outside looking for woody...he became the talk of the office...

After 2 days of inching up this tree, woody made it! He look so proud...he actually opened his wings. That's what probably got him in trouble in the first place..he can't fly yet.

Well, you are probably wondering why on earth I am writing about this baby woodpecker. After watching this tiny bird for two days try and try to make it back up into his nest, I just kept thinking about determination.

When you want something, have a goal and willing to keep going and not give up...you can accomplish whatever it is you're after.

Sure you may take 2 steps forward and three steps back, but if you don't give up, you'll eventually get where you want to be.

Victory is ours if we don't give up !