“I was caught in a dilemma. On one hand, I wanted badly to become a nurse. The idea of helping people really appealed to me. On the other hand, studying four hours a day had no appeal. My grades showed it. At the age of nineteen, I failed my first year of nursing school. The next year I failed again.

“In the nursing program, there was a teacher I will never forget. She had little patience for anyone who wasn’t totally committed to the program, and my half-hearted efforts sadly put me in that category. Bluntly, she told me that I didn’t have what it took to become a nurse and that I should drop out!

“Her words played continuously in my mind. Maybe I wasn’t good enough. After my second failed attempt, I was sure I wasn’t good enough. Humiliated by my failure, I moved to another city, away from my family and friends. I needed time to sort out my life. I had to find some sort of job, and because I loved the hospital environment, I took a position as a medical transcriptionist. The job went well, but I couldn’t get nursing out of my mind. It became clear that I wouldn’t be satisfied doing anything else. But my desire to become a nurse was threatened by an equally compelling fear of failure.

“Every year for five Nears, I planned to go back to school. And every year I was paralyzed by the fear of failing again. When it was time to enroll, I found endless excuses for not signing up. I was too busy. I couldn’t afford it. I was needed at my job.

“Years passed and I was no closer to what I really wanted. Realizing I didn’t have the strength within me to do it alone, I asked God for help. I asked Him to grant me the ability to achieve my goal. I start ed reading the Bible, and friends recommended several books that intro­duced me to the concept of positive thinking. My faith grew, and with it, my courage and self-esteem. Over time, I was strengthened by my belief that with God’s help there was nothing I couldn’t do.

“It was 1978. That year when enrollment opened for the nursing program, I walked through the door. Was I nervous? You bet! But I was also confident that He would get me through. Two years later, I graduated with honors in the top 5 percent of my class. Joyfully, I have been a nurse ever since.

“It took me five years to discover my faith, to build my confidence, and to find the courage to try one more time.”

Suzan Robison works full time as a Registered Nurse in Orlando, Florida.

Excerpted from Unstoppable, p, 124-125 (Sourcebooks, $14.95) Copyright 1998 by Cynthia Kersey www.unstoppable.net

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Cynthia Kersey is a nationally-known speaker, columnist and author of the bestseller, “Unstoppable” and upcoming sequel “Unstoppable Women”. Cynthia captivates audiences by delivering presentations on how to be unstoppable in their business and life pursuits. To learn more about receiving a FREE daily Unstoppable Insight, joining the FREE “Unstoppable Community” or bringing Cynthia to your next meeting, visit www.unstoppable.net .