Dear Subscriber,

Let’s get right to the point. Anything in life worth pursuing will require some investment of energy on your part. Did you know that most people don’t fail in life because they lack the ability, the intelligence or the skill? They fail because they run out of emotional, physical and spiritual gas while climbing the ladder of success. They simply don’t have the energy to succeed. You can have the best education, outstanding skills, be highly intelligent and possess all the ability in the world and still fail! That’s right, you can have it all and still fall flat on your face. It happens every day! The reverse is also true, you can be lacking in those attributes and still become a raving success. Don’t you know someone like that? They shouldn’t be successful but they are? Success lies not in what you have but in what you DO with what you have. You must have the energy to fuel your passions, abilities and skills in order to be successful.

Is lack of energy stopping you from fulfilling your destiny? Are you too tired to do all the things you want to do or worse yet, all the things you need to do? Are you living a life of passion or are you just going through the motions? If you can relate to not having enough “oomph” to get through the day, much less fulfill your destiny, you are not alone.

People from all walks of life are too tired to pursue their destinies. Their spirits may be willing, but their bodies and minds are tired. Success requires energy! Energy is the fuel to ignite passion and passion is the engine of success! Everyone is created to operate at peak performance and to pursue their passions, yet lifestyle choices can stop us from really living. Right choices will quickly give you energy to live a life of passion! Isn’t that encouraging? All you need to do is change a few things and you can have the life of your dreams.

Success comes from what you do, not from what you have.

Let me share someone’s life history with you. This was a man who:

• At the age of 21 he failed in business.At the age of 22 he lost a state legislative race.
• At the age of 24 he failed in business again.
• At the age of 26 his sweetheart died.
• At the age of 27 he had a nervous breakdown.
• At the age of 34 he lost a congressional race.
• At the age of 36 he lost another congressional race.
• At the age of 45 he lost a senatorial race.
• At the age of 47 he lost a race for vice-president.
• At the age of 49 he again lost a senatorial race.
• At the age of 52 he was elected President of the United States.

This man was Abraham Lincoln.

Could he have become President of the United States if he didn’t “keep on keeping on”? This man did not give up. He was also very energetic and fit. He kept pushing forward in life until he succeeded. He must have been very passionate about what he was doing. He was willing to put in the required energy to pursue his dreams and to change a nation. I bet old Abe also changed himself in the process. Abe Lincoln is an example in perseverance and determination. He may not have been the smartest, most educated or best looking man of his time but he certainly used what he was given and didn’t give up on his dream.

My friend Brian McLaughlin sent this to me to help me keep my spirits up when I was struggling I kept this timeline of Abe Lincoln’s life over my desk for many years to help me persevere through some tough times. . I have been one step from being homeless. I have had times when our family didn’t have food to eat. We have had our electricity turned off, our water turned off and we have had to give back a car we didn’t want to. We have had the sheriff at our door giving us an eviction notice and we have had times when we couldn’t afford medical care for our children or ourselves. We had the Revenue Department take every penny we had without notice. I have been put in jail. I have lost more than one business…but I have never, ever given up.

For year’s people, especially family, criticized me, laughed at me or were embarrassed by me. They didn’t encourage me. They wanted me to give up. Because they couldn’t do something I was pursuing, they thought I couldn’t do it either. I didn’t accept that. Did I have times of despair? You bet! Did I have any doubt that I could make it? Yes! But I knew, without a doubt, that if I gave up that I definitely wouldn’t make it. I also knew that if I could overcome failure enough times that I would ultimately prevail.

I had people kicking me when I was down but I was blessed to have the most important person in my life, my wife Cathy, struggle through this with me. She believed in me and told me so. Even in the midst of it all, she believes in me. All this to say, that I feel qualified to encourage you and tell you that no matter where you are today, as long as you “keep on keeping on”, you can succeed tomorrow! Invest the energy to get yourself going in the right direction and you will overcome all the odds, no matter how great they seem at this moment. Education or lack there of, isn’t the issue. The real issue is, are you willing to do what it takes to get what you want? Well, are you? I think you are or you wouldn’t be reading this. I feel we are kindred spirits because I know you may be where I was and I want you to know that you can do it! You were created for greatness!

"Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today."
- Abraham Lincoln

Author's Bio

John M. Rowley

John Rowley is the pioneer in combining peak performance principles with physical and spiritual disciplines for complete and lasting success. John owned the gym that the movie Pumping Iron, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno was filmed in; had a successful real estate career in Manhattan and is an active author, speaker and entrepreneur.

The article "Where Are you Right Now?" is an excerpt from John Rowley new book "Climb YOUR Ladder of Success Without Running Out of Gas!". It is the very first success book that brings the bodybuilding lifestyle into the equation! For more info, please visit John website at www.johnmrowley.com.