The Thursday Update

JUNE 19, 2025

Lakeshore Friends,

One of my favorite sayings (and as a public speaker and teacher, I have many) is the one related to what distinguishes successful people from everyone else. It goes like this:

The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people are willing to do what unsuccessful people can’t do, won’t do, or just talk about doing.

More than almost any other attribute, being someone who persists in doing a task is the best indicator of success in life, assuming what you’re persisting in is worth doing. Being a person who doesn’t quit very easily, someone who has grit, determination, tenacity, resolve, staying power, and a ceaselessness to their efforts is the best predictor of a person’s success when all other factors are the same between people. People with the exact opposite approach rarely find success. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

Political figure Newt Gingrich once said, “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.”

Of course, it’s important to remember that there are limits to our efforts. We must always allow room for God’s grace to be truly and eternally successful. But all things being equal, pressing on is the sign of success for people who trust in God’s grace as the primary virtue in their life. I know because of what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:12-14. I’ll cover this on Suany as we continue our series in Philippians, “How To Find Joy In Life”.

If you want to find more joy in your life, you need to develop a persistent spirit. God will use it to do great things in your life, including becoming more filled with the joy of Jesus in all you do. And that’s what true success is all about.

Wamrly,
Vince