UNLIKE HERO

Not many people have heard about Bill Havens. But Bill

became an unlikely hero of sorts - at least among those

who knew him. At the 1924 Olympic Games in

Paris, the sport of canoe racing was added to the list of

international games competitions. The US team was

the favorite in the four-man canoe race and Bill Havens

was one of the members of that team.

As the time for the Olympics neared, it became clear

that Bill's wife would give birth to their first child about

the time the US team would be competing in the Paris

Games. In 1924, there

were no jet airliners

from Europe to the

United States and only

slow ocean-going ships

operated between the

two continents. And so

Bill found himself in a

dilemma. Should he go

to Paris and risk not

being at his wife's side

when their baby was

born? Or should he

withdraw from the

team and remain with

his family? Bill's wife

insisted that he go

to Paris.

After all, competing in

the Olympics was the

culmination of a lifelong

dream. But Bill felt

the conflict and, after

much soul-searching,

decided to withdraw

from the competition.

He considered being at

her side his highest

priority - even higher

than going to Paris to

fulfill his dream.



As it turned out, the United States four-man canoe

team won the gold medal in Paris. And Bill's wife was

late in giving birth to their baby. She was so late, in fact,

that Bill could have competed in the event and returned

home in time to be with her when she gave birth. People

said, "What a shame." But Bill said he had no regrets. For

the rest of his life, he believed he had made the right

decision. He knew what was most important to him.

Not everybody figures that out. And he acted on what

he believed was best.

The baby eventually

born to Bill and his wife

was a boy, whom they

named Frank. Twentyeight

years later, in

1952, Bill received a

cablegram from Frank.

It was sent from

Helsinki, Finland, where

the 1952 Olympic

Games were being held.

The cablegram read:

"Dad, I have won! I'm

bringing home the gold

medal mom told me

you had lost while

waiting for me to

be born."

Frank Havens had just

won the gold medal for

the United States in the

canoe-racing event, a

medal his father had

dreamed of winning

but never did.



Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have the
power to create conditions in your life.
What you speak about, you can bring about.

If you keep saying you can't stand your job,
you might lose your job.

If you keep saying you can't stand your body,
your body can become sick.

If you keep saying you can't stand your car,
your car could be stolen or just stop operating.

If you keep saying you're always broke, guess what?
You'll always be broke.

If you keep saying you can't trust a man or trust a woman,
you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.

If you keep saying you can't find a job,
you will remain unemployed.

If you keep saying you can't find someone
to love you or believe in you,
our very thoughts will attract more
experiences to confirm your beliefs.

Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive
and power packed with faith, hope, love and action.

Don't be afraid to believe that you can
have what you want and deserve.

Watch your "Thoughts,"
they become words;

Watch your "Words,"
they become actions;

Watch your "Actions,"
they become habits;

Watch your "Habits,"
they become character;

Watch your "Character",
for it becomes your "Destiny"

So.......To prevent any obstacles... ....

GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!

Enjoy every minute you live!!