Can you think of something really big in life that you wanted but you let it go? A goal that you wanted to achieve but didn’t? Every one of us has failed in reaching a goal. Every one of us has a reason why we gave up on something.
I don’t know what those reasons are for other people, but I can tell you why I have given up on my dreams in the past. It’s when it gets too hard or when I get tired of the struggle or when I am afraid of the uncertainty that comes with the possibility of reaching my goal. Those are the times when I have been known to quit.
One of my big dreams was to write children’s books. I wrote several and submitted my manuscripts to the major publishing houses. As manuscript after manuscript came back with a rejection letter, I finally gave up. I was discouraged and I felt like a failure so I just stopped writing altogether. Looking back now, I wish I had been more persistent. I wonder where I might have been today if I had just stuck with it.
It was Calvin Coolidge who said:
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
I love this quote, but I also think there’s one thing that should be added. We must also truly believe that we can achieve the goals we set for ourselves. If we don’t first believe in ourselves, we will never muster the persistence and determination that are required to see us through to the end.
I don’t know what your dreams are and I don’t know what kind of obstacles you face to achieve them. I know that my dreams are pretty big and the obstacles seem even bigger. I am working toward my dream of publishing a children’s book and my heart tells me not to quit. It tells me to dig deep and believe in myself. It tells me to be persistent this time.
If you have a dream that you still want and you feel it in your heart, don’t give up. Don’t give up because you’re tired and you want the easy way out. Plan and work toward your goal. Ignore failure, even if you have to ignore it over and over again. Believe in yourself and persist until you win.
