Quote from my book “Where Do I Go From Here?”:Creating the Life You Love
“At this point I learned-for the first time—one of the most
valuable lessons of my life. Success does not come to the most
talented or the most brilliant. It doesn’t come to the one who is
the best looking or the one with the most money. Success is the
result of wanting something so much that nothing can stop you
from getting it. It is not failure to lose. In every adversity there
is a lesson to be learned. To be a success, all you have to do is
continually pick yourself up and go on until you get what you are
longing for. Perseverance is the key to unlocking your dreams.
I entered my fourth year of the competition with a new
attitude. My thoughts were not about comparing myself to the
other contestants. That concept is pretty amazing when you
think about it, since the whole point of a contest is comparing.
My Creator had taught me not to compare, but to bring my
gifts—such as they were—to Him. I was there to perform the
songs I had written—songs from my heart, as only I could sing
them. I just needed to be a channel for God to flow through. I
would sing and He would touch the people. The finals took place
on national television. I stood behind the enormous, sparkling
curtains of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, and
I knew it was my turn. As I heard my name announced and
saw the curtains parting in front of me, I was in my bliss! I
enjoyed that performance more than any other and connected
with my audience in a mysterious and powerful way. In fact, in
the middle of my second song, the audience spontaneously burst
into applause as I was singing!
As I signed autographs for the many people who flocked to
the stage just to meet me, the national champion, I was the one
being blessed. This is a lesson I hoped I would not forget. All
the hours of practicing, praying, crying, trusting, sometimes
doubting, and yet still persevering, had brought me to this place.
It’s a wonderful thing to see a goal fulfilled—to see a dream take
shape and become reality.”