The laws are perfect with mathematical exactitude. The competence of the operator is the only variable. Now at week 12, all blame has dissolved. I take full responsibility for my life.

In doing so, I am learning to be forgiving of myself. I can not expect of myself mastery of these laws without doing the work. Doing the work means persistence. Circumstances arise aka “life happens” and at times we slip backwards, we get behind.

Will that be our undoing? Will it define us? Will it stop us from moving forward. NO! I persist until I succeed. As Og Mandino states in scroll 3:

“I was not delivered into this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins.”

— Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World

Persistence

This week’s lesson for me was in missing the lesson. I had to choose between the expectations of my family which has been increasingly less tolerant of my Sunday classes, and my burning desire to succeed in keeping my promise to myself to see the Master Key through exactly as directed.

My current business is retail, and pre-Christmas is the most demanding time of year. Right now, it is the main thing. Even so, I chose to take a day to do an incredible Equine Therapy experience with my wife and members of my mastermind alliance, and I spent another day helping a friend who was really in need.

It took me until Saturday to do the lesson, and even then I had to put a movie on for the kids and watch the lesson while making dinner.

I could not do the 50 minute exercise…. Yet! But I am excited to do so. Sunday being the only day together with my family, and a Christmas dinner to attend, I had to miss lesson 13 as well. I will catch up. I will persist until I succeed.

Ordinarily I would be very critical of myself for this. I would ignore the positive things I did in favor of the one thing I did not do. I would focus on the 1 class I missed rather than the 11 that I attended. I decided not to get angry at myself for the failure I was feeling.

I decided to be the observer and really understand how I was allowing myself to accept pressures in my life to steer me towards old programs. I decided to be grateful for the gifts I have given and for the tenacity I have to catch up.

“I ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine eyes on the goals above my head…”

“I persist until I succeed.”

— Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World, Scroll 3

I think this is one of the key learnings for me thus far, that part of being a competent operator is being aware of the habits that hold you steadfast in your current lane. I think that is why the card exercise of listing all of your accomplishments is so powerful.

I tend to forget all of the incredible things I have done and focus on the few mistakes. When I actually take the time to write it all down – holy smokes have I accomplished a lot! If I can do all of that, I can persist until I am a competent operator. I can master my thoughts and habits. I persist. I succeed.