When do you quit?
It’s always a tough question to ask yourself and what makes it harder is knowing how to answer it. A lot of people, for better or worse, are stubborn and hard-headed. That’s a good thing, perseverance is a crucial trait; it’s what makes us so unique. To answer the question of “when do we quit,” I’ll tell you--when you’re dead. When do you sleep? When you’re dead. There’s time to laze around when you’ve left this earth. There’s no telling what tomorrow will bring, and life has a habit of ganging up on us humans and kicking us when we’re down. Maybe you can recall or envision a scenario where you’ve been beaten thoroughly in work, in a relationship, or some personal project. No matter how much you invested in it, it doesn’t seem to be paying off in the slightest. As hard as that is to acknowledge, you don’t give up, you wait and you watch.
At the intersection of victory and defeat is opportunity. One opportunity, one chance to seize the moment and suddenly you’re on top. This is where patience comes in. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but at some point your opposition will underestimate you or take their eyes off of you and then you have every chance in the world to take it for your own. Maybe all you need is a little boost, support from people who have been in it with you since the beginning. The important thing is, that no matter how you managed to endure it, you persevered and came out all the better. You’d be amazed at how powerful your will becomes when the threat of defeat looms over you. Between resourcefulness and your will to survive, we are at our strongest when the fire is stoked the hottest.
Something to remember; for every mountain top experience, there is always a valley on either side. Life is defined by its ups and its downs. You can read all the inspirational quotes and books of inspiring life stories you want, but this life is your own. No one else in the world has lived it and no one can live it for you. It is up to you to write it as you see fit. Every protagonist has their antagonists and their trials, so don’t give up and make your story a good one.
