It seems my blog last week on the Habit of Doing it Until … apparently resonated with my new friend Frank.

I have never met Frank, we have only talked on the telephone once and that was last Friday when Frank called to tell me how much the blog reminded him of his late grandfather – his mother’s father.

When Frank was four years old his parents were killed by a drunk driver and he and his three sisters went to live with his grandfather.

Frank and his grandfather developed an extraordinarily close relationship and were, in his words, “best friends” right up until the day his grandfather passed away eight years ago.

Frank’s grandfather had come to this country from Poland as a teenager and, in the classic immigrant tale, transitioned from poverty to prosperity through sheer hard work.

His early days in Canada had been filled holding down as many as three menial labor jobs at one time, always with a smile, always with the intent of creating a better, brighter future for himself and his family.

Shortly after arriving in Canada his grandfather had seen a photograph of a magnificent house in a “rich and famous magazine”. He had clipped that photo from the magazine, folded it carefully and placed it in his wallet.

He made a promise to himself that one day he would build this exact home for his family.

Forty-two years later, his grandfather and family moved into that house.

Yes, it took him 42 years during which time he experienced several business failures, job losses, two life-threatening and financially ruinous illnesses and the death of his daughter and son-in-law. Despite all these hardships and tragedies, he never stopped pulling that photo out from his wallet, showing it to those closest to him and telling them that one day, no matter what and no matter when he was going to build that house for his family.

His final business venture was a restaurant in which he spent 16 to 18 hours each day, seven days a week working, improving, and perfecting. This eventually became two restaurants, and then four, and by the time he sold his business to an international restaurant chain his empire had grown to 37 restaurants.

The proudest day of his grandfather’s life was unquestionably the day he turned the key and opened the door to a new life in his new mansion.

And his first act in that new home was to light a fire and burn the photo he had been carrying in his wallet all those many years.  He didn’t need it anymore.

Frank told me that last week’s blog brought tears to his eyes as it reminded him of the fortitude with which his grandfather faced, and defeated, adversity and of the determination that kept him plowing on “until” his goal been achieved.

Frank did not want to tell me much about himself, but I was able to pry out of him that he too, just like his grandfather, is a man of enormous determination and is building a business empire of his own despite two previous disastrous attempts at doing so.

The Habit of Doing it Until … is simply not optional if we wish to ever arrive at the unreachable star.

My blog last week demonstrated the phenomenal power of the Habit of Doing it Until … Frank’s story confirmed it.

I would like to tell one more story attesting to the power of the Habit of Doing it Until … and I will be so appreciative it you will call and share your story or the story of someone you know as the subject of next week’s blog.

I know I can depend on you.

Let’s make a habit of meeting like this.

P.S. If you haven’t yet subscribed to, or even just checked out, my new blog called Habits Cause Have Its please click here.

P.P.S. I am very excited to share with you that my book Life Sinks or Soars – the Choice is Yours now has its very own website. Please visit us at  www.lifesinksorsoars.com  and let me know what you think.

P.P.S.S. Four weeks ago I had the privilege of doing my first ever radio interview.. The topic of the interview was my book, Life Sinks or Soars – the Choice is Yours. Here is a link to my interview.

Two weeks ago I did my second interview. Here is the link.

I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas or suggestions once you have listened to them. Please contact me at rael@raelkalley.com and share your thoughts.