SLUGS, GRIT AND SUCCESS

By Ada Brownell

The war began on May 3rd. Our youngest daughter, a beautiful pastor’s wife, the mother of two wonderful sons, and a human resources worker at a Steel Mill, can teach us all about grit and persistence.

Today she reported on Facebook that between the day the war began and her last slug hunt on Sept. 18, 2015, she logged 4,149 slugs eliminated from their backyard. Her tools consisted of a flashlight and a homemade organic spray, and the help of two chickens she bought as chicks to help with the war effort.

Common Garden Slug

She says, “Of course I've no idea how much fresh escargot the chickens enjoyed. It is sure to have been plenty as each time I let them out now they fervently look in the "honey holes" that they found, scratching and moving the rocks and leaves to the side, trying to find more.

Persistence paid off, as it usually does in any area of life.

Here's an excerpt from my book, Imagine the Future You.

Desire and talent don’t necessarily guarantee success, according to experts. Often it is the 

less talented and gifted who achieve great things because they won’t stop working toward

their goals—no matter how many obstacles they face or how often they face rejection or

disappointment. On the other hand, greatly talented people can go to their graves without

doing anything of significance.

What makes the difference?

We decide to take what we were born with and grow it into something greater.

Former President Ronald Reagan said, “There are no great limits to growth because there 

are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.”[1] The Apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). You can, too.

I’ve discovered I can’t spend all of my free time watching television and munching potato chips and expect great things tomorrow. I need to snatch my intelligence from the “brain cell” thieves who stuff me with nonsense. I might enjoy watching a fictional person’s life on the screen or in a book, but I’ll never attain anything significant unless I do something myself.”

(Links to Imagine the Future You: Audible  http://ow.ly/U8VHv  Amazon   http://ow.ly/y9zaF   ITunes    http://ow.ly/U8W8S  )

Jeanette concluded her Facebook post with this report: 

Another species of slugs

“It's been a good year and the garden has provided lots of yummy things to eat and pretty flowers to view. The grass is still green and the trees are just about to drop their final leaves. A few more plants are finishing off and then we'll be ready for the yard to take a long winter's nap.”

NOTE: If you’d like to have the recipe for the home-made spray, comment and perhaps I can talk her out of it!

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[1] Frank Lutz, Words That Work (New York: Hyperion, 2007).