How To Cope With Obstacles

Today is a day that will go down in my history. It's examresults day for thousands of 16-year olds across the south of England.

As I sat on the bonnet of my car this morning waiting for my sonto emerge from the school hall either happy or miserable, I recalled the day Igot mine.

I had flunked them big time. I did manage two C's though - Art(completely useless in any profession other than set design) and EnglishLanguage. Well, I speak the damn language so I was hardly going to fail atthat.

Jon came walking out of the hall and waved the envelope in theair at me as a signal to say he had got them.

He got in the car and sighed a big, heavy sigh.

"I got an A in History," he said

I was hysterical. He also got 4 more C's than I ever didand a strong pass (5) in English Language.

Now let me tell you a story here.

Jon is on the spectrum. Has gone through 5 schools and movedcounties 3 times in the hope that his mother and father would eventually find aschool that could support him in the areas he needed, like life.

The biggest blow for him was being diagnosed August last yearwith double scoliosis. Two violent curves top and bottom of his spine. Bothover 50-degree angles. He had managed to cover that up so much so that I hadn'teven noticed.

By the November, he was being operated on by the best spinalsurgeon in the country. It was a long operation in which Jon had a new spineput in place, quite literally. Three days in intensive care followed by 14 daysin hospital and 4 months off school. Right in the middle of his second year ofGCSE's.

When he was fit enough to return to school, he was stiff andunable to move around or bend down. Yet he was determined to still sit hisfinal exams. We all thought it was impossible, yet here he was, at 16, making acommitment to achieve his grades, regardless of how much school and study hehad missed out on.

But the funny thing is, is that he never revised.

Yet he still had it set in his mind that he was going to win.

And he did.

On opening the envelope this morning, he just sat there andsmiled while I bounced around the car like Tigger. He knew what the resultswere before he had even opened it.

So, the thought I want to leave you with today is this,

Even when life puts up a dirty big barrier in your way, justhold on to that goal and see it clearly in your mind. If you want to make yourfortune as an affiliate, keep going. Never give up, despite what life will putin front of you. It's only a test to see how committed you are.

Then, as soon as you're committed, then it will come to you.

I wish you all a very prosperous day.