Let me tell you all a story of which most of you have heard.

This story is:

The Little Engine that Could

to fit the life of David Shamo

Some of you know that I may not be a little engine,

but for the past few months I have had many boxcars attached to me, as I have been starting my own business with Primerica. Now one of the many things that have been weighing me down has been my Life/Health insurance test. I studied and studied, and felt okay about what I knew, so I took my test hoping I knew just enough to pass my test. As the day came the feeling of the hill came upon me as I thought I could. I took my test and to no avail I received a 60%. I could not believe how hard it was to climb this one hill. I rescheduled my test and once again I studied hard, and found myself stressing to find the strength to go on, the day came once more as I huffed and puffed and blew my little horn and started up that hill, I felt like I knew more and was more focused on my goal. There it was I could see the top of my hill I tried so hard to get to, I took my test and when done I was waiting in wonder - did I make it to the top? I received my score 65%. I was hurt. I saw the top but could not huff or puff or blow my horn enough to get to the top. As I returned home with my head drooped down low, I took a few days to get up the courage to try again, I scheduled my test and started to study day and night, at work and at home. I did the best I could and as the day was near I did my last minute cramming (as if that would help), I went to take my test and up the hill I went chugging and a chooing, chugga chugga choo choo, and there it was the dreaded top of the hill. I will make it, I will. As I finished my test and clicked the button to see my score I was insistent that I pass for sure, and than it was up and it hit me like a wall that I could not get over or move, I received a 65% again.

Here I was at my favorite store buying a whole lot of crap food

to indulge in, because nothing else made any sense to me at the time. I took a lot longer to try the hill again this time, my time was running short, the year was almost up, and then I would be stuck doing this test in 2010, in my mind I told myself this would not happen, I will pass this test before the year has ended. I lucked out as I went to schedule my test again, Dec. 30th was one of the last open days left in this year. I thought for sure I could get over the hill on this day. I scheduled to take the life insurance test only this time as I knew more about that subject than I did about the health side of the test. So I studied and studied and took a day off so I could spend what little time I had on Christmas Day with my beautiful wife Shelena, and then back to the online test I went. I found more confidence each practice quiz I took as I saw the scores of 80% more and more, and then without any time at all, it was the night before my test, and of course I had to work, I did more quiz's and then took a practice exam at around 0300 and passed with a 71%, and my heart dropped, I could not believe that I only passed with 1% to spare, so I looked at two of the areas that were my weakest and took one more practice quiz hoping that this last minute cramming would work just long enough. I once again took a practice (bonus questions) exam, and I passed with a 73%, and again I felt like it was not enough as time had run out and it was time to head up the hill. I focused and started the chant, I think I can, I think I can, (come on help me out here, say it with me, and maybe together I can get up the hill), I think I can, I think I can, as I started to take my test, chugga chugga choo choo, I saw the top of the hill (are you still helping me?) I think I can I think I can as the words came faster and faster to my head, I found that I could see the top getting closer and closer, come on help me now, I think I can I think I can I think I can, and there it is I see it. As I finished my test I was just about to see my scores, and I just did not want to see it, at the same time I knew that I needed to see it all the way through, as the score came up and I saw it 77%, YES I loudly exclaimed, as other test takers were taking their test, once again I exclaimed YES under my breath this time. I knew I could as I (with your help) started going down the other side of the hill I once could not get to the top of. I Passed My TEST, YES!!!