The Hope QuotientSample

Pilots of U-2 spy planes are the best in the world. Possibly the most famous U-2 pilot was Francis Gary Powers. In 1960, Powers was shot down over the former Soviet Union and served two years in prison before being released in a swap for a KGB spy.  

After his release, Powers worked as a test pilot for experimental aircraft. He later worked as a helicopter traffic reporter in Los Angeles until a fatal crash. How could a hotshot pilot die in a crash? His helicopter ran out of gas. After surviving being shot down, imprisoned, and thousands of experimental flights, he went down…because he ran out of gas. 

Running on empty is a really bad life strategy. 

A friend of mine who teaches aeronautical engineering took me up in a single-engine plane one time. At six thousand feet, he grabbed a switch and turned the engine off. But nothing happened! We kept right on going. Then I realized, but if that engine doesn’t restart... .We landed safely, and did I mention? I went with him one time.  

Everything that flies, goes forward because it’s fueled and the engine is on.  

If everything that moves in this world runs on fuel, what is it that fuels you?  

You can be the most gifted and experienced person in the world, but when you run out of fuel, you’ll crash. Refueling is one of the most important things in life. Your skill level, your talent, your educational background—everything can be working for you, but if you end up on empty, you’re due for a fall. Across thirty-five years of teaching, the number one thing people need to hear from me is—make sure your batteries are recharged!  

Think Up: 

Make sure you refuel and get your batteries recharged. 

What will fuel you, fill your tanks, move you forward? (Read on).