From the small town of Eskridge, Kansas, Maisie Devore, in her early 50s, dreamed of building a swimming pool for the town’s children to enjoy. Once she discovered that she could raise cash by collecting aluminum cans and redeeming them at the local recycling center, her crusade began.
Rain or shine Maisie, rode her old pick-up truck around town hunting through trash cans. The townspeople even gave her cans. She did this, at times, to the point of exhaustion, and she got a lot of grief. People called her “Crazy Maisie,” but she didn’t let it stop her.
Thirty years and six million cans later, the nickels, dimes and dollars added up to more than $83,000! Maisie also made afghans and quilts to raffle off, picked wild berries to sell as homemade jams and jellies, and even sold scrap metal. In all, she had raised $100,000. With that money and a grant from the state of Kansas for $73,000, the pool bearing her name opened in 2001.
What drove Maisie? How did she stay motivated over the years? What good qualities did she possess to achieve a seemingly impossible goal? Common personal characteristics are found in people who achieve extraordinary life success. Here are some of them below.
Dream, Commit and Take Action
If a person looks hard and long enough, he or she has a burning desire, a vision, a dream. No exceptions. Whatever that desire is, which could be to write a book, run a marathon, build a community swimming pool, once it becomes a commitment, a shift occurs as one moves from thought to action. Instantly, a person has purpose and direction. He or she does not fall victim to circumstances but takes the helm and steers the ship on the desired course.
How someone weathers the storms is proof of the genuine nature of the commitment. It’s not enough to simply commit and then waver in the face of self-doubt, criticism, disappointment, and frustration, which is sure to come up when achieving anything worthwhile. A truly committed person is action-oriented and relentlessly determined, in spite of the obstacles, to get the result and/or live by a certain standard or principle.
Believe and Succeed in Life
When an interviewer from the CBS Sunday Morning show had asked Maisie how she managed to avoid getting discouraged over the years, she said, “If you think you can do it, usually one way or another you can get it done, and if you think you can’t do it, you won’t do it.”
Maisie’s unshakable belief in herself and the project allowed her to press on for years until she met her goal. This belief and faith is where she kept her attention backed by action, again and again, and to the point of exhaustion.
The Courage to Succeed No Matter What
In spite of people calling her, “Crazy Maisie,” Maisie did not let that criticism affect her commitment to her dream. People can be harsh when they see other people moving outside of what is considered "normal" behavior.
Sometimes people become naysayers simply because they are threatened by the person’s changing behavior, or they are jealous. But, if this interferes with a person’s commitment, all is lost. It takes courage to push past criticism and continually be authentic in who you are and what you want. Now known as “Amazing Maisie,” she never let people’s opinion bother her; it was unimportant.
Overcoming Obstacles by Persevering
Lucille Ball, The Beatles, Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, and Abraham Lincoln. What did they have in common? They either failed or were criticized by authorities. If they chose to end it right there, such extraordinary talent and minds would have gone wasted.
This is the power of perseverance, the willingness to press on in spite of criticism, failure, fear, and self-doubt. A person must have a certain mental toughness and inner strength to stay with a commitment to a dream, to his or her talents. Imagine if Fred Astaire, at a screen test for the movie Funny Face, had listened to the studio’s verdict: "Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little." Fortunately, he didn’t take it personally to the benefit of all.
Live a Purpose with Passion
“Many persons have the wrong idea about what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose, “ said Helen Keller. Once a person commits and devotes oneself to a worthy purpose, passion is needed to see it through. Without passion, a person can easily be distracted and lose sight of a goal.
Cynthia Kersey says in her book, Unstoppable: 45 Powerful Stories of Perseverance and Triumph from People Just Like You, “To live without passion is to live without fully experiencing life’s wonder, drama, and excitement. Living with passion allows you to experience your senses to their fullest. Passion is the energy that will propel you through any obstacle and turn your dreams into reality.”
When a purpose is identified, a commitment made, passion, along with faith, perseverance, and courage, will fuel the hard work necessary to make something that seems impossible to attain possible.
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