What’s one trait that the truly successful share? Although some might argue that it is their background, education, or status, I disagree. Rather, I believe that if you were to study the lives of anyone who’s made a mark in this world, you’d find one common denominator that exists -- it’s their attitude, particularly, their attitude of perseverance.

They quite simply refuse to give up. They are overcomers. They continue when others quit. As a result, they’ve been able to rise to the top of their respective fields.

Without a doubt, one of the greatest examples of perseverance is none other than Abraham Lincoln. If you want to learn about someone who simply refused to quit, look no further.

Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout this life. Over the years he lost eight elections, twice failed in business, and suffered a nervous breakdown. Although he could have quit many times, he didn’t, and because he didn’t, be became one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country.

Or look at Thomas Edison, who invented the incandescent light bulb, but only after over 10,000 unsuccessful attempts. A famous story recounts the time a young reporter asked Edison how it felt to have failed so many times, in his quest to create the light bulb. How was he able to go on? Edison replied, "I haven’t failed 10,000 times, I’ve discovered 10,000 ways that won’t work."

While those are great examples of perseverance, what about you? How’s your attitude? Are you one of the ones that get going when the going gets tough or do you instead roll over and give up? Do you have bulldog determination, or is retreat always an option for you?

These are important questions to ask yourself and then answer honestly. I firmly believe that of all the characteristics one needs to be successful in life, a ‘never quit’ attitude is one of the most important. It’s what keeps you going when almost every fiber of your being wants to quit, or when others say ‘it’ can’t be done. Unfortunately, far too many people don’t possess this type of attitude. As soon as they get knocked down, they throw in the towel. They never realize their true potential because they quit as soon as things get tough.

My wish is that people would realize that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down as long as you get back up. After each rain storm there’s always a rainbow, but to see it, you’ve got to first go through the storm. The secret is sticking around long enough to see it come to pass.

Although I was already a strong believer in the importance of attitude before my thru-hike, hiking the trail reinforced in me the vital role a proper attitude plays. I never would have made it without it.

The entire trail was difficult at times, but some parts were definitely harder than others. For me, the White Mountains of New Hampshire and particularly Mt. Madison, tested my attitude to the fullest.

My first day there, while coming down what was basically the face of a cliff, I suddenly had a dizzy spell and slipped and fell sideways. I began to tumble down the mountain until a tree broke my fall. I slammed into a sharp branch that was just a few inches off the ground. My head hit is full force in the area of my left temple, and I blacked out momentarily.

Eventually, I regained my awareness and slowly stood back up. To say it scared me would be the understatement of the century. Shaken at the thought of how close I’d come to a fatal fall, it took several hours from that point for me to make my way down the mountain.

That night was a time of some serious self-reflection. For the first time since I’d begun the hike, I questioned what I was doing and why. Was I even physically able to accomplish such a feat? Plenty of people were telling me that the answer to that question was no. Maybe they were right. After all, here I was with one eye and a brain tumor, going up and down what at times was downright treacherous terrain.

It was time for a gut check. Was all this attitude stuff that I was always telling others about for real? After thinking for awhile I realized that by completing my hike I had a great opportunity to set an example for others to follow. I realized that by not quitting, even though it was hard, I might one day inspire others to continue during their own tough times. At that point I made the decision that no matter what I wasn’t going to quit. I would persevere to the end! I just didn’t know how hard it would get . . .

An excerpt from Jay’s new book, A Time to Walk: Life Lessons Learned on the Appalachian Trail, his hike of 2,160 miles from Maine to Georgia.

As printed in the VHL Family Forum 8:3, September 2000. For permission to reprint, please contact VHL Family Alliance, editor@vhl.org. Further information is available from the VHL Family Alliance, info@vhl.org.

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