Passion Play

“Failure is impossible.”
-- Susan B. Anthony

***

Talk about having passion, Susan B. Anthony could easily be the poster child for "Passion." One hundred thirty eight (138) years ago today, Susan Brownell Anthony, marched into a Rochester, New York voting precinct and cast her vote in the 1872 presidential election. The problem was it was illegal for women to vote. She was arrested for knowingly voting without a lawful right, and was subsequently fined $100; a fine which she refused to pay.

Susan B. Anthony believed that the legal, political, and social inequities American women suffered were due to the fact that women lacked the right to vote. Susan B. Anthony was determined that woman should, and one day would be granted the right to vote. Believing that nothing was impossible, Susan B. Anthony quickly emerged as the leader of the Women’s suffrage movement. Susan B. Anthony worked fervently and tirelessly for the cause up until her death in 1906. One month before her death, she was quoted as saying, “Failure is impossible.” Fourteen years after her death, the 19th amendment was passed and women won the right to vote.

How about you? Do you believe that failure is impossible? It all comes down to passion and belief. Susan B. Anthony was passionate about women’s suffrage. Her passion fueled the belief that someday women would vote.

Passion, Passion, Passion! The more passionate you become about something, the more you believe in it. The more you believe in something, the more the impossible becomes possible. How does the impossible become possible? It is because of Passion! Passion is emotion and emotion is energy; the more passionate you are about something, the more energy that is generated. Passion becomes energy that keeps you going when the critics and naysayers say it cannot be done. Passion becomes energy that allows you ignore distractions and stay focused on your goal. Passion becomes energy that gives you the physical strength to keep going when others would have quit long ago.

You cannot have success without first having passion. The impossible can never become possible without passion. I’ve seen far too many people, who because of a lack passion, “go through the motions.” “Going through the motions,” at best, will get you average or ordinary results. You can bet that Susan B. Anthony did not just go through the motions. Susan B. Anthony’s passion for women’s suffrage and the passage of the 19th Amendment had a significant impact on American History and our nation as it exists today.

Remember, those that lack passion tend to see the possible as being impossible; whereas, people with passion see the impossible as possible. Don’t believe me; think of the millions of women who voted on Tuesday.

***
It's your life: Live it, Love it & Celebrate it!
MJD