My friend Ann learned to grab the brass ring while at the Flying Horses Carousel on Martha’s Vineyard.

For years, many merry-go-rounds placed a brass ring in hard to reach places. Riders who reached the ring received a free ride.

The brass ring represents success or the opportunity for success.

Success might mean:

• Achievement
• Profit
• Rewards

People who grab the brass ring show great ambition.

They don’t wait for someone else to hand them an easy job. They take the steps necessary to get where they want to go.

To reach for or grab the brass ring usually involves hard work.

Like farmers, workers get up early to put their hands to the plow. Their efforts usually include:

• Long hours
• Willingness to grow and change
• More work than most co-workers
• Jobs no one else wants to do
• Going back to the drawing board when they make mistakes

Success means different things to different people.

Some people thrive in the rat race of competition. Others desire a slower, quieter life. Whatever route a person takes, the key lies in finding one’s purpose in life.

“If anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work (2 Timothy 2:21 ESV).

Thanks to Joe and Ann Klotz for the suggestion and photo.

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