Hope is alive.

There is faith to move mountains.

You love with all your heart.

You have arisen.

You've started to act.

There is one thing left to do.

You must continue.

Perseverance pays plenty. The pursuit of perfection must be paired with persistence.

You must persist until you succeed.

The race is not for the swift but for those who endure to the end. This is a marathon campaign. Sprinters have no place here because they do not possess the necessary endurance. This is a long haul affair.

You get knocked down.

You get up.

You sustain a punch under the belt. You grimace, grit your teeth, suck in your gut and move on.

Life is not for wimps. It does not wait for you to get on your feet or nurse your wounds. This is not a journey for sissies.

But, always remember:

This is it.

This is your only shot.

There are no second chances.

There are no make-overs or make-ups.

You must do it now and you stand no chance if you do not continue pressing forward.

Therefore, languishing in prisons, being "corrected" in penal institutions or allowing yourself to be trapped in unproductive relationships are a waste of your time, resources talents and gifts. You must be free to flow with the river of hope and follow after that which leads to the promised land.

I know it is not easy. There will be blood, sweat and lots of tears. It will be and seem unfair at times. Nevertheless, everyone one of us called a human being is stuck on this unforgiving earth. There is no temptation that has taken you that is not common to all men. The sun rises and sets on all of us. The rain falls on the just and the unjust.

We live.

We die.

We all receive the same 24 hours in a day. Stop complaining about what you do not have. Continue using what you do have.

Take a cue from the life of Sammy Davis, Jr. He was a man of small stature with a broken nose and one eye. He was black of Puerto Rican heritage and a converted Jew. With everything seemingly wrong with him, he became arguably the world's greatest entertainer. The name of his autobiography is titled "YES I CAN." Instead of dwelling and drowning in his shortcomings, he decided to overcome the odds. And so can you.

Gird up your loins.

Strengthen your heart.

Renew your mind.

You do not get to the top of the mountain with a single bound. You are not superman. To reach the summit, day after day you must continue to climb.

As you ascend, you may have to abandon or leave some things behind. There is no resurrection without a crucifixion. Something or someone has to die that you may live.

Though the journey may be hard, the task may be arduous.

You will get there if you persist, pursue and press on despite the odds.

V. Knowles is a husband and father with an interest in penning issues that serve to uplift mankind. He melds his love for Classic literature, The Bible and pop culture - as sordid as it may be - into highly relatable columns of truth, faith and justice. Hence the name: Just Thinking. If he's not buried in a book or penning his next column, you may find him pinned to his sectional watching a good old Country and Western flick.