Against All Odds: My Story

by Norris, Chuck

  You must be positive about everything you do; otherwise it is easy to become affected by negative thinking. Like it or not, we are surrounded by negative attitudes, words, and thoughts. All you need to do is listen to the people around you. There will always be someone who tells you that you can't achieve something you want because you are not big enough or smart enough, or your skin is not the right color, or your religion is the wrong one, or you are not qualified enough, or you are overqualified. People who tell you these things are frequently not successful themselves.

  When I decided to get into films, I was told repeatedly that action films were on the decline; no one was interested in me as an actor because everyone considered me an athlete who had no acting experience. Beyond that, I was thirty-six years of age when I made the transition from being a martial arts teacher to being an actor. To some people I was a has-been before I even started!

  If I had accepted such judgments, I would never have made that first movie; nor would I have persisted and made other films after the first. I treated the initial rejections as temporary setbacks because I knew that with enough time, determination, and hard work—along with a faith in God and a positive mental attitude—I would succeed.

  Few people become successful overnight at any endeavor. Most successful people have learned to stick with whatever it is they wish to achieve and to work step by step until they reach their objective. That has certainly proven true in my life.

  It's been interesting to notice how my priorities have changed in recent years. Many of the cravings and desires that once were part of my life are now gone. Certainly part of that is the result of maturity, a strong commitment to my marriage and family, a deepening of my faith, as well as having more time and financial security than I did in past years. I've learned how to be confident without being cocky. More importantly, I've come to a place of contentment in my life. But contentment does not imply complacency.

  People often ask me, “How do you stay in such great shape?”

  Truth is, I must work at it, just like anyone else. I get up each morning and work out physically; Gena and I take time each day to read the Bible, pray, and exercise spiritually; having short-term and long-term goals is also important to me; and of course, I have two little children to keep me busy! I don't ever see myself retiring; I always want to be active. I've noticed that many people who retire almost immediately begin to atrophy in every aspect of their lives. Before long they get weak and flabby, physically, intellectually, and spiritually. Besides, I don't see anything about retirement in the Bible. It seems to me that God expects us to keep living every day of life to the fullest, believing every morning that “God has plans for you!”

  In many ways I believe my best days are still ahead, that everything up to this point is preparatory for something that God wants me to do. I wake up each morning, watching for the opportunities to do something that others say can't be done. I still think young; I feel young, and I never want to lose that attitude.

  Gena loves to quip that she expects to celebrate our fiftieth wedding anniversary in Hawaii. “No pressure, honey,” she tells me. Of course, that means that I'll have to keep myself mentally, physically, and spiritually sharp for a while. On our fiftieth anniversary, I will be 108 years old!

  But I'm planning to be there. Why? Because I believe I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

  Besides, I like living … Against All Odds!