Life is tough sometimes. There are days when you seem to have been struggling for so long that it’s tempting to quit. Just give up on the dream and surrender to the inevitable failure. You’ve tried – and nothing’s worked out. You’ve fought your hardest, and still got nowhere. And you don’t think you can handle that disappointment again.
I haven’t got any easy answers. I haven’t got a magic wand that will make all your troubles go away. I haven’t got a secret key that will unlock the door that seems firmly shut. I can only tell you one thing.
Get back in the game.
I know it’s tough. I know that it’s hard. I know that you’ve tried and failed. So far. But you’ve got two choices. Either get back on the field and get back in the game… or go find a different game. There’s no point sitting around moping about how you just can’t win – how you always get so far and then you come up against unbeatable opposition. That’s not going to get you anywhere. You’ve either got to suck it up and get back on the field.. or decide that this game isn’t for you.
If you listen to your heart, you’ll know. You’ll know where you need to be. This might be the message that says ‘time to try something different’. And if it is, go try something different. There’s no shame in that. But if your heart says ‘this is what I want to do’ – then go try it again. Get the courage to get back in the game.
Talk to millionaires. They’ll tell you that they tried and failed and tried again – that success came just after they thought that they had failed. Talk to sportsmen (and women) – they’ll tell you that they had to hang in there and deal with failure. When I used to compete in karate kumite competitions, I’d get hit, shake myself down and get back on the mat. Any horserider will tell you that they had to get back on the horse – any snowboarder will tell you they had to pick themselves up out of a pile of snow and carry on down the mountain. The successful person is the one who goes down six times… and picks herself up six times.
Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, author of “On Death and Dying”, reminds us that “The most beautiful people we have ever known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have pulled themselves out of the depths. These people have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
This is where hearts are forged.