Abebe Bikila shocked the world when he won the 1960 Olympic marathon - only his third race at the distance - as a complete outsider in world record time while running barefoot !! Four years later in Tokyo he became the first man to retain the marathon title when he set another world record - this time wearing shoes but just six weeks after having his appendix removed !!

Remember :

When Colonel Harland Sanders retired at the age of 65, he had little to show for himself, except an old Caddie roadster, a $105 monthly pension check, and a recipe for chicken.

Knowing he couldn't live on his pension, he took his chicken recipe in hand, got behind the wheel of his van, and set out to make his fortune. His first plan was to sell his chicken recipe to restaurant owners, who would in turn give him a residual for every piece of chicken they sold -- 5 cents per chicken. The first restaurateur he called on turned him down.

So did the second.

And the third.

In fact, the first 1008 sales calls Colonel Sanders made ended in rejection. Still, he continued to call on owners as he traveled across the USA, sleeping in his car to save money. Prospect number 1009 gave him his first "yes."

After two years of making daily sales he had signed up a total of five restaurants. Still the Colonel pressed on, knowing that he had a great chicken recipe and that someday the idea would catch on.

In 1964 he was bought out by future Kentucky governor John Brown. Even though the sale made him a multi-millionaire, he continued to represent and promote KFC until his death in 1990.

Colonel Sanders' story teaches an important lesson: It's never too late to decide to never give up.

Earlier in his life the Colonel was involved in other business ventures--but they weren't successful. He had a gas station in the 30's, a restaurant in the 40's, and he gave up on both of them. At the age of 65, however, Harland Sanders decided his chicken idea was the right idea, and he refused to give up, even in spite of repeated rejection. He knew that if he kept on knocking on doors, eventually someone would say "yes."

When Mother Teresa was declared the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, she requested the Nobel Peace Committee to cancel the reward reception dinner and instead give cash, which amounted to $3,000. When the public came to know about this, they sent their pocket money totalling $36,0000 and the prize money was $90,000. When a reporter asked her how she intended to spend the money, her reply was, "I have already spent this money in my mind." Well, on who else, but the poorest of the poor who enabled her to earn the Bharat Ratna and the Nobel Peace Prize.

Each sister of the Mission owns just two sarees and a third one is for special occasions ! The 'philosophy' behind this : "To understand the poor, you must live like the poor."

Have a nice day !!