Don’t give up, stay strong
People often regret past experiences where they should have kept fighting just a little longer. The regret is justified—with a bit more determination, results could have been wildly different.
Sometimes we face setbacks and rejection, particularly when we’ve missed out on getting our dream job or the promotion we’ve been working tirelessly to secure. Therefore, we may find it difficult to motivate ourselves and try again. The biggest difference between successful and unsuccessful people is that the former have that crucial extra ounce of determination. Just as the saying goes: “When you’re 90% finished you’re only half done”. The last stretch is always thetoughest. If we are able to grit our teeth and fight to the end, success will be ours.
Have you ever run a marathon? The race is a true test of the body’s limits, and you would think that not many people would be truly up to the challenge. Each marathon, however, attracts thousands of people. The vast majority of participants understand that they are not going end up on the podium, but it still takes true determination to complete the full 42.195 kilometers. Victory or defeat is secondary for most athletes, what is important is drawing on willpower to run the entire course. It truly is an incomparable feeling of achievement.
Life and even finding that dream job is like a long marathon. What we are striving for isn’t to always be number one, but instead to be determined in the pursuit of our goals and to realize our dreams. Only by staying strong and having a good support network can we accomplish our objectives, whether it be at professionally or personal.
I heard once that successful people abide by two rules: The first is to never give up—ever. The second is, when you want to give up, to remember the first rule. Life could be full of contradictions. On the one hand, we must stay determined in the pursuit of our goals; on the other, we have to learn to minimize losses by knowing when to step back. How do we know when to advance and when to retreat?
Fighting to the end is always a condition of success. If you find yourself up against a dead end, however, to avoid further losses you should immediately stop your forward advance.
Fighting to the end is correct, but so is learning to step back. There is no contradiction or conflict between the two. We should be determined on the real choices, but know when to let go of illusory or impossible dreams. We should let go of the things we don’t have a chance of getting back.
We let go today so we can gain more tomorrow. Only by releasing our grip are we able to grab onto new opportunities, goals and dreams.
If you need some inspiration or advice on how to achieve your goals, view our latest webinars from our keynote speakers Talane Miedaner, author, speaker and life coach and Susan Hayes, The Positive Economist .
