Perseverance Several weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending Mega Agent Camp, a Keller Williams mini-convention held in Austin.  We were treated to three of the most inspirational speakers imaginable!  Perseverance was the connection! Homeless To HarvardLiz Murray was born in the Bronx to poor, drug-addicted, HIV-infected parents.  She became homeless at 15 when her mother died of AIDS and her father moved to a homeless shelter.  Liz  decided she could take one of two roads;  go to school, work as hard as she possibly could and see what happened or continue down the same path of her parents.  At the time, with an eighth grade education and 17 years old, she decided to complete high school in two years.  What happened next?  She was awarded a New York Times scholarship for needy students and accepted into Harvard University.  She left Harvard in 2003, to care for her sick father but continued her studies at Columbia University, to be closer to him.  In 2006 her father died of AIDS.  As of May 2008, she was back at Harvard working toward her degree with plans to graduate with a degree in psychology in June 2009.  (For more information, Google, Homeless to Harvard) Life Without LimbsNick Vajucic is a handsome, twenty-six years old, born in Australia without arms and legs.  His parents were given no reason for his medical issues.  At eight years old he wondered why this happened to him, felt his life was hopeless and there was no point in going to school.  Today he travels the world as an inspirational speaker, enjoying his passions, swimming, golfing and fishing!   Because of Nick’s unique personal story, he is able to speak to groups of all kinds. It gives him entree with both  young and old, impoverished, imprisoned, business people, children, young people, peoples of all races, those with disabilities and those without.  People are literally captivated and disarmed by the fact he can genuinely rejoice in his circumstances.(For more information, Google, Life Without Arms and Legs) Tommy EmmanuelThe second day of Mega Agent Camp, the agents from our Market Center were invited to sit on stage during Emmanuel’s performance.  Initially, not wanting to go on stage, I soon realized it was a happening!  Tommy Emmanuel’s unique style of playing guitar, which he calls “finger style” is akin to playing guitar the way a pianist plays piano, using all ten fingers.  He began playing  at age 4 by listening to the radio, learning by ear with no formal instruction. He didn’t realize that most musicians had a band backing them, just thought the musician and his guitar were making the sounds he heard.  Today, after a career that spans over four decades, he quips, “I save a lot of money by playing all the parts myself!”(For more information, Google, Tommy Emmanuel)