I couldn't believe it -- I placed! My first swim meet. I felt GREAT!!

In fact, I felt so great that I decided to join South Bend's local AAU swim team.

Me, an AAU swimmer! The more I swam more I was enjoying myself. I could see myself "winning."

One problem: I also made freshman football team. Normally, that would not be a difficulty except for one thing ...

I knew I couldn't be excellent in both sports.

A DECISION TO FOCUS

I said, "I'm going to swim and that's it. No more football."

And that's exactly what I did. For next four years I swam. I swam in swim season and I swam in summer.

I was relentlessly persistent!

LET'S STOP AND THINK!

Persistence is a combination of these forces working together.

*Our desires. *Our commitment. *And a series of decisions to act!

Persistence is "fuel" that propels us toward achieving what we value most in life.

I KNEW WHAT I WANTED

Back to my story. I had a *strong* desire. I wanted to win. I wanted to be on that starting block, hear gun fire, enter water ...

And win!

I MADE A COMMITMENT

I'm sitting in chapel listening to an older man speak.

He's a seasoned pastor. The kind you would like to be by your bedside shortly after doctor has informed you that your time on earth is limited.

Very limited.

"Doc," they call him. I listen closely to what Doc is saying. No one would call him an orator. And he certainly isn't energetic!

But he is real. As real as you can get.

As I'm listening intently to what Doc is saying, I notice something else: other members of our audience are listening in exactly same manner.

Older ones. Younger ones. It doesn't matter. All are listening.

Intently.

WHY?

I think, "Why? Why are we listening so attentively to what this man is sharing?"

I answer myself by saying,

"Because he is speaking from his heart."

He and his God have walked a long time on this earth together. He is sincere and all of us in room can sense it.

A SIMPLE POINT