I was re-reading an excerpt from John C. Maxwell’s short book titled,“Success One Day At A Time.” In it, he wrote about his friend Zig Ziglar who once told him that he visited the Washington Monument on a trip to Washington, D.C. As he arrived with some friends he heard a guide announce, “ladies and gentlemen, there is currently a two hour wait to ride the elevator to the top of the monument.” The guide paused a moment, smiled and added, “However, there is no wait should you desire to take the stairs.” He used this short story as an example of how life truly is, as there are no elevators in life that take you straight to the top.  Getting there takes a series of steps, some longer and some shorter than others. John ended his example with a statement, “The amount of steps you are willing to take and how long you are willing to climb will eventually determine how high you will go.”  The greatest athletes may have been born with natural talent, however, they put in extraordinary hours of practice, training and eating healthy to keep their bodies in top shape.  If you were to ask any of them I am sure they could tell you how many daily steps it takes them to maintain their top form.  Success no matter how it is defined, begins with taking a step and setting a goal.  We are all capable of doing at least those two things, which provides us with the formidable recipe that can allow us to succeed.  Keep stepping and keep climbing, you will find that your efforts will have taken you closer to the top than you give yourself credit for.