diffbsThere is a motivational website I bookmarked called Think TQ. I visit the site regularly because it has a message of the day, which frequently sparks my energy (thinktq.com/training/todaystq/).

On the day I write this, it led with a quote from my grandfather, Robert Collier: “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out…”

I never knew my grandfather. He died 2 years before I was born. But I like to think I knew him through my father. Robert Collier was a successful businessman, specializing in mail order sales and marketing. He raised 5 wonderful kids, including my dad. Robert Collier also was an author, writer of the “Robert Collier Letter Book,” on how to write persuasively. He also wrote “Secret of The Ages” and “Riches Within Your Reach,” books on self-enrichment and personal development.

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out…” speaks of the value of goals and persistence. Perseverance is a core value that I was fortunate enough to acquire at a young age, learned through my father’s example and teachings. I did not know the actual quote until I was an adult and read my grandfather’s writings. As I read Robert Collier’s thoughts, many of them seemed familiar. I realized that it was because my father, while rarely formally articulating them, had lived by the same principles day in and day out. It was my father’s example, his role modeling, that was such a subtle but powerful shaping influence on my life.

I was blessed with a father who truly was a “light house,” who lived his values of service and stewardship, whose daily life reflected his deep commitment to family and community, who balanced a strong work ethic with a love of books and learning for its own sake.

To be a worthy son, to live up to the commendable example he set for me, to be as strong a role model, to make a difference: that is my quest.

Closing Quotes:

“Every action we take teaches the value system that motivates it; what did you teach today?” — Unknown

“We cannot not communicate.” — NLP principle

“What difference do you make?” — Bumper sticker