Having What It Takes to Win

There was a young woman who had taken ballet lessons all through her childhood, and now she felt that she was ready to commit herself to the study and discipline necessary to make a career of it. She wanted to be a prima ballerina, but first she wanted to be sure that she had a special talent. So when the ballet company came to town she went backstage after the performance and spoke to the ballet master.

"I want to be a great ballerina," she said, "but I don't know if I have the talent."

"Dance for me," the master said, and after only a minute or so he shook his head. "No, no," he said. "You don't have what it takes."

The young woman went home, heartbroken. She tossed her ballet slippers in the closet and never wore them again. Instead, she got married & had babies, and when the kids were old enough she took a part-time job running a cash register at the convenience store.

Years later she attended the ballet, and on the way out she ran into the old master, now in his eighties. She reminded him that they had spoken before. She showed him photos of her kids and told him about the job at the convenience store, and then she said, "There's just one thing that's always bothered me. How could you tell so quickly that I didn't have what it takes?"

"Oh, I barely looked at you when you danced," he said. "That's what I tell all of them who come to me."

"But that's unforgivable," she cried. "You ruined my life. Maybe I could have been a great prima ballerina."

"No, I don't think so," said the old master. "If you had had what it takes you wouldn't have paid any attention to what I said."

Winners never quit and quitters never win!