Virtually, there is nothing that man cannot do. Only what he has to do is to keep doing and doing without being discouraged. Success will come someday or other, though it may apparently be the conception about something that it cannot be done. The task that is easily done at the first attempt is undoubtedly very easy. 【小题1】 It is because our life is complicated and tough. And to succeed in this tough battle, perseverance and hard work are a must. It is a unique precondition to success in life. 【小题2】 Perseverance helps us do what we otherwise would consider impossible to do.

What the world-famous scientist Sir Isaac Newton had done by twelve years’ constant hard work was burnt out by his pet dog. But that could not discourage him a little. 【小题3】 It is only for his undefeated perseverance that we have been able to have many inventions and discoveries.

【小题4】 He went through thick and thin to reach his destination after months of the strenuous voyage on the sea. He discovered the way from Spain to America and offered the world a new route of communication with America. This outcome of his perseverance will be generated by the world forever.

All the great men in history have written their names in golden letters by means of perseverance. Their success will always remain as perfect examples to us. 【小题5】

Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table, reading his book. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to copy him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read the book just like you, but I don’t understand it, and I forget what I understand as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the book do?”

The grandpa quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandpa laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned. Out of breath, he told his grandpa that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, so he went to get a bucket instead. The grandpa said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough.” The boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandpa the basket was empty again. Out of breath, he said, “Grandpa, it’s useless!”

“So, you think it is useless?” the grandpa said, “Look at the basket.”

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean.

“Grandson, that’s what happens when you read the book. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you’ll be changed, inside and out.”

The mind is a wonderful thing. It's also excuse-making machine that frequently tries to convince us not to take action we know are good for us. If we hadn't learned about these excuses, or how to overcome them, we would never have succeeded in making these positive changes.

So why does the mind mess with us and make unreasonable excuses? Because the mind wants comfort, that's the reason. It's afraid of discomfort, pressure and change. The mind is absorbed in its comfort zone, and anytime we try to stretch that zone too far, for too long, the mind tries desperately to get back to “ground zero” at any cost. These damaging excuses, such as “I can't do it”, “It is too hard for me”, “It's too late now” and so on, are no strangers to our minds.

It seems too difficult at first, so you think you can't stick to the positive change you're making. This excuse can be countered (对抗)by looking at the fact that other people were no more capable than you thought you were. For example, my 60-year-old next-door neighbor finished running a marathon, so I told myself, “If she can do it, so can I!” Truth be told, the only person who tells you “I can't” is yourself. If you hear those words echoing in the back of your mind, tune them out.

I've witnessed people reinventing themselves at all ages 48-year-olds starting families, 57-year-olds graduating from college for the first time, 71-year-olds starting successful businesses, and so forth.

Another common excuse is that “I've already failed too much.” If you break down, it's fine, because you are only human. Just don't stay down; take a rest, and then pick yourself up so you can go to where you'd rather be. As Winston Churchill said, “Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It is courage to continue that counts.”

Some people feel like quitting when they have almost reached their goal, while others attain goals through their efforts until the last second. So make some necessary adjustments to get rid of the bad habit of making excuses. Keep going! No excuses! Think, work, and climb, that's how you'll move your life forward.