Life is hard, and sometimes we just want to give up. Do you know what it means to give up? It means to resign yourself to failure. The problem with that is if you don’t keep trying, then it is impossible to succeed at whatever you are attempting. We have all heard the saying a winner never quits and a quitter never wins.
A champion never quits because, if he or she did, they would never become a champion, right? You cannot win if you take yourself out of the game. And how much fun is it to sit on the sidelines and observe?
Sure, at some point, everyone has wanted to give up. The path they are on is too hard or is taking too long. Frustration sets in, and they start to question if what they are doing is worth the struggle.
Anything you do, especially anything that takes you out of your comfort zone, requires you to stretch. Like an athlete who stretches to prepare for a competition, stretching prepares you for what lies ahead. It enhances your performance. Life experiences and circumstances stretch you, often way beyond your comfort zone. They test your emotions, your mental strength, and sometimes your physical strength. If you are not challenged, then you remain stagnant and cannot moved forward. It is during life’s trials that you are growing the most, even when you don’t see it. If you understand this and can stick with it and refuse to give up, you will succeed.
How do you do that?
First, believe in yourself. You have talents and qualities nobody else has. Anything worth doing is going to require hard work. Accept each challenge you face and kick its behind. Do not let it stop you. The hard work will pay off. Set realistic goals and believe in your abilities to achieve them.
Next, be committed and dedicated. Visualize your goal and work to achieve it. Sometimes, being committed to something is the hardest part. What do you want and why do you want it? Is it worth sticking it out and seeing it through no matter what? Ironically, all of the hard work and sweat and effort that you put into something is what makes it worth it. Can you really be proud of something you didn’t work for?
Third, learn from your setbacks and failures. If you quit, you miss the things you were meant to learn during the process. Every failure is a learning opportunity. It is experience. Evaluate what happened and formulate a plan to avoid the same thing happening next time. And remember, you did not fail – how you did something failed. How can you do it differently next time? Try again and focus on the goal.
Any time we try to achieve something, we make ourselves vulnerable. There is uncertainty and fear. We have to accept the risk of being disappointed or let down. These are the muscles that must be worked out in order to succeed. Failure is a setback but is not the end. Giving up is not an option. Champions are champions because they refuse to quit.
