All my life Ive relished stories about people who just kept chugging along or plugging away, until the world finally said: I give up; youre right!

For example, as a kid I recall visiting a former champion figure skater by the name of Red McCarthy.

He was a friend of the family and his proudest possession was his own invention: a home gym that he housed in a special place of honor in his garage.

I dont have to tell you what a home gym is. Youve seen countless commercials for Soloflex and Bowflex, and youve used similar devices at health clubs and exercise studios.

But back in Reds tinkering days, home gyms were unheard of, and his device was cutting edge.

Sadly, the world didnt embrace his machine, and it took another two decades for the exercise revolution to reach us. But Red was on the right track, and given just a little more time, the quality of his work, and the thinking that went into it, would have been embraced and even celebrated.

Simply put: The world cannot ignore quality, forever.

If you doubt this, read a book by Dr. Srully Blotnick: GETTING RICH YOUR OWN WAY.

Blotnick studied hundreds of people over the course of decades, and then he compared the successful to the unsuccessful, and he found one significant characteristic that was more important than formal education or nearly anything else.

The winners found some work that they loved, and they stuck with it for the long haul. Finally, and often quite quietly, they grew better at what they did than most others, and the world acknowledged their achievements.

The best butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers grew rich, slowly but surely. It didnt matter what field people chose for themselves according to the author, higher pay was their due when they were simply the best in their occupations.

So, Red didnt make it, because he was a little too far ahead of his time.

But I, and some others, remember him fondly and with admiration, which I suppose is some small part of the world paying attention to his quality, at last!