Anais Nin has an incredible quote that’s a statement of strength. She said, ‘Life shrinks or expands in proportion of one’s courage.’ She says that the more courage we have, the more that the picture of our life begins to expand and get better and bigger.

Let me give you a statement of strength by Dr Brene Brown. She said, ‘When we deny our stories, they define us. When we own our stories, we get to write the ending.’ You know, all of us have some stuff in our background that just wasn’t good.

Henri Nouwen, what a great thinker he was. Henri Nouwen said, ‘Joy does not simply happen to us, we have to choose joy.’ And here’s what’s interesting, keep choosing it. Every day.

So, I’m going to read to you today a statement of strength from Phyllis Bottome. Phyllis said, ‘There are two ways of meeting difficulties: You alter the difficulties or you alter yourself to meet them.’ Now, I think the first response, for most of us, is: I think I’d like to alter the difficulties.

And we’re giving you, again, statements of strength to encourage you during this difficult time. Brian Tracy has a great statement I want share with you. He said, ‘Between you and every goal that you wish to achieve,’ between you and the goal, ‘…is a series of obstacles. And the bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles.’

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, ‘The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.’ Now, why did he say that? Well, you see, doubts, when I doubt, when you doubt, it causes us to hesitate.

So, I’m going give you a quote of one of my favorite people, Jim Rohn. Jim said, ‘The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance.’ Those are the three key words. I’ll say it again.

Peter Marshall said, ‘When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.’ You see, Peter Marshall knew something about you and me, and that is that we long for better times, easier times.

An optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.’ What was President Harry Truman really saying? Well, he was saying what I’ve been teaching about perspective.How we view things determines how we do things.

You see, no one ever quit their way to success. That just doesn’t happen. In fact, when I was a very young leader, I was greatly influenced by a mentor who pretty much taught tenacity and making sure you see everything through to the end. And I remember one day, now this is before all the wonderful technical things we have in life now.