26 Aug When is it OK to Give Up?
What’s the magic number? You know, the magic number that after you fail that many times, it means it’s time to give up. Yes, that is the magic number we are talking about. What is it for you? Once? Three strikes and you’re out? Five? 10? What is your magic number?
The only way we get anywhere in life is to set goals and outcomes for ourselves. What do we really desire to have in our life? Some of those outcomes might be big and scary. They should be. We only get to do this thing we call life here on earth once so it’s up to us to make it count.
Sometimes it’s not always a smooth and easy path to get to those outcomes we desire most. When is it okay to give up on those dreams and outcomes? As soon as the going gets tough? When others tell me I am wasting my time? Or that I’m a dreamer and it will never happen? When I am tired of “failing?”
Thomas Edison did more than 9,000 experiments before he discovered the light bulb. Where would we be if his magic number was 8,999? Potentially still in the dark. And by the way, the light bulb isn’t Edison’s only invention – he has over 1000 U.S. patents.
While you’ve probably heard of Edison’s story, did you know that Colonel Sanders secret chicken recipe was rejected over 1,000 times before a single restaurant accepted it … when he was 65 years old!
And then there is Walt Disney who reportedly was turned down hundreds of times when he sought financing for Disney World. The Walt Disney company did over $52 Billion in revenue in 2015.
Many think that those people who “make it” have a leg up, or they are lucky. What they have, and it’s also available to you, is a magic number of “WHATEVER IT TAKES!”
How bad do you want it? You will have to get outside of your comfort zone, be okay with falling down, be okay with the naysayers, be okay with changing your approach again and again and again, and be ok with the successes along the way. (Yep, for some people their successes are scarier than their failures.)
Make your magic number to be “Whatever It Takes.” When you fall down, instead of dwelling on the failure, stay focused on your outcome and ask “what else is possible?” It all comes down to CHOICE. You can choose to give up or you can choose to stay focused and keep changing your approach. It’s really that simple. Not always easy, but that simple.
So does that mean it’s never okay to give up? Absolutely not. On your way to getting your outcomes you should give up a lot of things. Give up the fear, anger, frustration, resentment, fear, negativity, jealousy, bitterness, complacency, did I say fear? Give up everything that doesn’t benefit you on your way to your outcome, which will leave you the energy to keep moving forward.
Remember, your journey won’t look like anyone else’s and why would it? That was their journey, this is yours. Stop comparing and start living your dreams and your life. Make “Whatever It Takes” your magic number!
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