Friday, February 7, 2014

Never, Ever Give Up


There are thousands of quotes, by all kinds of famous people, all of them certain that the key to success, however you define it, is to never, ever give up. It doesn't matter what it is you're wanting to accomplish. It doesn't matter if you're talking about a dream, or a goal, or a realtionship, or a physical battle with some kind of malady. Whether it's about love or health or money. Whether it's about living to see your daughter walk down the aisle. Or your grandbaby come into the world. Or your sister recover from cancer. No matter. Whatever it is, just do NOT give up.

There is always a reason why such adages stick around for so long. It's because they're little nuggets of truth that have been experienced over and over by millions of people who refused to quit. They were so stubborn, so tenacious, so absolutely certain that they would succeed, it never occurred to them to stop trying. 

Or maybe it did.

Maybe they had moments when they thought they couldn't take one more step. Maybe they had doubts. Maybe they thought it would kill them if they tried any more. Maybe they even contemplated putting a gun to their head or jumping out a window.

But they didn't.

They found a way to move through those doubts. And kept kicking ass. Kept holding on to their truth. Kept seeing whatever it was they were sure would come, if only they kept getting back up.

Because sometimes, when you least expect it, stuff shows up to help you along. People or happy serendipities or hallelujah days, any of which give you a shove at just the right moment. It could come in the form of a book. Or a class. Or a note from a stranger. It could be a memory or a song or a box you found with some treasure you'd forgotten all about. One way or another, that "something" arrives just before you pull the trigger and you say to yourself, "HEY! WHAT AM I DOING??? I DON'T WANT TO QUIT! THIS FIGHT AIN'T OVER YET!"

So if you're there, if you're struggling with something that's trying extra hard to kick the shit out of you, please hear this:

NEVER, EVER GIVE UP.

Miracles happen at the oddest moments. But if you curl up and quit, or load that gun and use it, or jump out that window, how will you ever know how close you were?




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