One such person is Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame. Colonel Sanders didn't start out rich or young or with a network of people behind him. His company wasn't handed down to him, and he didn't have an MBA or even any start-up capital. What he did have was a tasty chicken recipe and some serious determination.

At age 65, after receiving his first Social Security check for around 100 dollars, he set out to 'give away' his chicken recipe in exchange for a small percentage of profit on every piece of chicken sold using his recipe. He didn't even ask for money upfront - he just wanted a small percentage of the sales! So off he went, and restaurant after restaurant said 'NO'. But Colonel Sanders kept going. And going. And reaching. And trying. He kept giving it another shot. He was determined to sell his recipe, and wasn't going to let a 'No' stop him.

It took Colonel Sanders 1, 009 No's before he got his one Yes. 1,009 No's. 1,009 times of being turned down, turned away, rejected and shut out. 1,009 times. Imagine if he had stopped at 1,008.

What would happen if you had the same determination as the Colonel? What would happen if every time you came across a 'No' you were willing to learn something new or try a different approach to reaching your goals? What would happen if you were willing to keep going until you got to 'Yes', no matter how long it took?

• If you are looking for love, you would keep your heart open, even if you've had a string of bad relationships.
• If you are trying to lose weight, you'd not sabotage yourself even if you hit a plateau.
• If you wanted to start a business, you would look at your set-backs as learning experiences and keep going.
• If you wanted a better relationship with your children, you would keep trying new ways to connect with them, no matter how long it took.

Living divorced doesn't mean you have to give up on your dreams. It means you have to be willing to stay in the fight long enough to get the results you are looking for. When we don't reach our goals it isn't because our goals are out of reach - it's because we give up too soon. We give up. We give up on our dreams.

We may want to blame it on someone else or on our circumstances... but the truth is, it's us who gives up on ourselves.

We can do better than that.

Living a beautiful life after divorce takes smarts. It takes ingenuity. It takes courage. But above all it takes determination to stick to your dreams. The next time you feel like throwing in the towel - the next time you are tired and feel like it's no use - stop. Ask yourself if this moment might be your 1,008th No. And then keep going until you reach your beautiful YES.

Rooting for you!

Jeanie