Many people think that their life is a disaster that for some reason they cannot go on, they allow depression to creep in and continually give themselves negative bio-feedback. But you can over come and adapt and achieve anything you want in life. I did, let me tell you a real story from top of the world to the bottom and back on top again. It is a true story, one I will never forget. I hope to give you some inspiration today if you will allow me too.

When I was in High School, I ran a business, one, which I started at age twelve. In high school I was a four-year varsity track star, Class President, and voted most likely to succeed. I had a track scholarship to a 4-year and at the last minute changed my mind, because I wanted to run my business, so I went to a 2-year college instead. I wanted to take 17 units but the dean wouldn't let me. I am not the 12-unit type of guy. I made a deal with the track coach that I would run for him, if he convinced the dean to allow me to take 18 units. He did pull some strings plus 3 units for track; 23 units. I then went to another community college and signed up for 12 units more at night school. I wanted to get school over with and please my parents, get that piece of paper and run my businesses.

Well taking that many units means classes for 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM no breaks. Then a 30 minute break and then track practice; then a 2-hour break and then night school, five days a week. With track meets on the weekends some weeks I couldn't work enough to pay the bills, especially when it rained on Sunday, my only day to work. Well it became apparent that I could not pay my bills, during that El Nino year working only one day or no days per week.

So I moved out of my apartment into my truck with a camper shell. I closed the library every night and then parked my truck where I wouldn't be bothered and studied until I fell asleep. Well one night I was in my truck and parked in a Lemon Orchard studying and fell asleep with the dome light on.

When I woke up it had been storming all night, the orchard was flooded and the battery was dead because the dome light had been on all night. I could not push start my vehicle in the mud and rain. I tried but was totally muddy and had to get to school so I jogged to school ten miles in the rain. Talk about Rocky, no wonder I cry watching that movie. I figured my truck would be there when I got back. It was not. The farmer towed it because even though I left a note he; had to pick up the fruit off the ground before it spoiled and had to get his tractor in between the trees to pick up the crates filled with lemons and get them to market. The farmer called the local police and asked them to tow it. They did and since they could not contact me it was impounded.

Well off road tows were $400.00 and I did not have time to get it out for another day and then the fees for storage started. The four-hundred dollars was about all I had to get thru the last two-months cramming for up coming finals and I had put so much into that semester, I could not go there. I convinced the tow company to allow me to get my remaining books out of the vehicle. Since I was on the track team I figured I could live in the high jump mats storage shed. So after practice I volunteered to put away the High Jump Pits in the shed and put my own lock on it, so I could sleep there after the library closed. I did this for two months and convinced the tow company to allow me to detail their trucks to work off the storage fees and tow fee so every weekend I went and detailed the trucks. Meanwhile I kept collecting medals in track and studying and going back to my storage shed. Each morning I would run a couple of miles and hit the showers and go to class. I finished my classes got a 4.0 at the night school classes at the second college and 3.6 at the daytime college and aced my finals.

I promised myself that no matter what I did in life from that day on, I would never give up! I would strive to be the best in the world at whatever I did. I promised to always help others as long as they were worthy and were committed to help themselves and to never take my victories for granted. I learned about commitment and doing what you say you are going to do from that. Everyone has a story of a time in their life, use this to your advantage as you find the inner strength to reach your dreams. Nothing is impossible.