Stories of persistence need to be told, not only for the sake of the one telling them, but also for those  who need to hear them.

Why is it that we’re so interested in hearing about the person who gets knocked down three times, and gets up four?

The stories give us examples of people who refused to give up on their dreams in the face of numerous obstacles, and conquered to reach their desired goal.

The stories tell us about the person who started a successful business, wrote their first book, sold their first piece of art, performed their first song, or created a non-profit organization serving the needs of others.

We feel so inspired when we hear the stories that we begin to know we too can accomplish great things – even during the times when  have also been knocked down three times, and contemplate whether it might be worth getting up one more time.

And though we know there are countless people out there with stories to tell, many of the stories seem to go under the radar.  Those fail to see the light of day, go undiscovered and remain unheard.

Those stories stay uncharted.

Surely we know some of the more famous stories, but we’re not at all familiar with the ones from our neighbors across town.

And while we can’t seem to hear enough of the inspiring stories, we somehow become inundated with the negative news and events of the day.

Cynicism and frustration come to the surface as we begin to believe that better days have passed, and nothing we do can make a difference.

We could use more of the inspiring stories.  I know I want to hear more of them.