My odyssey to produce and air an infomercial has reminded me of a famous experiment with laboratory rats. In this experience, the scientists took one rat and dropped it into a jar of water and then placed the jar in complete darkness. The rat continued to swim for about three minutes before giving up and allowing itself to drown.

They then took a second rat and dropped it into a jar of water. However, this time, they allowed a tiny ray of light to shine into the jar. As a result, the second rat continued to swim for thirty-six hours until finally rescued. That tiny ray of hope was enough to keep the rat alive for more than a day while the first rat perished in minutes.

For the last two years, I've often felt like this second rat. Fixated on my vision of the infomercial, I've treaded through the murky waters of video production, large-scale media buys and celebrity endorsement contracts until now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's been an exhausting experience that, at many times, was frightening. Yet, as the video enters production and the airing schedules are being finalized, I can certainly say that it was worth it.

Therefore, if you find yourself currently submerged in deep water, my advice to you is to keep looking up. Keep your eyes focused on your original vision and kick like mad. Even when it seems like you're not getting anywhere (and it will seem like that often), keep kicking. Even when you feel like giving up (and you will feel like that often), keep kicking. Even when it seems like all hope is lost, keep kicking. Trust me, help is on the way, but you have to do your part by keeping the dream alive in the meantime.

Keep Kicking (Part II)

In my travels, I've been blessed to meet many extraordinary men and women; people who have accomplished great things. And while their stories of achievement are different, almost all of them have one thing in common - they kept kicking. Regardless of whether they faced rejection, disappointment, ridicule, embarrassment, abandonment, divorce or even temporary poverty, they kept kicking. And what allowed them to keep kicking was that they firmly held their vision in mind.

Each day, they spent some time visualizing the outcome they wanted to achieve. They saw themselves running a multi-million dollar company, weighing their ideal weight, riding in a chauffeur-driving limousine, vacationing at a tropical resort in Fiji, proudly watching their children receiving a diploma from Harvard, or what have you. They constantly kept a clear mental picture of their desired future even when the present looked anything but desirable.

If you don't already do so, I encourage you to do the same; particularly when times get tough. So often, people walk away from the race when they are just feet away from the finish line because they lose the faith. In a sense, they lose sight of the goal. This is actually quite easy to do. The everyday demands of earning a living, raising the children and being active in the community can drown out your true calling.

For that reason, it's important to keep your vision constantly in mind. And if you have trouble doing so (and most people do), use visual aids. If you want to be wealthy one day, keep a picture of a mansion or a Porsche on your desk or on a wall in your home office. This may sound silly but trust me, it works! I collected dozens of pictures of Lamborghinis before I owned my first one. Likewise, if you want to get in great physical shape, keep a picture of your favorite hunk or supermodel on your bathroom mirror for extra encouragement.

The important thing is to make sure that one ray of hope continues to shine through in those dark hours when you're not sure if you can hold out another minute. In the end, this could make all of the difference between rising to the top and sinking into mediocrity.