Like the glass half full/half empty scenario, there are those who look at situations and see obstacles, where others see only opportunities. Whatever the situation facing you, how you view it will affect the results you’ll get.
Do you look at an adversity with sagging shoulders and imagine the worst…or rise to the challenge it presents to you? The challenge of finding a way to succeed.
The issue lies in giving up too soon. If Thomas Edison had given up, we would not have the electrical light bulb – but it took countless failed experiments before he achieved success. Robert Perry was the first to reach the North Pole…but it took 8 attempts over 23 years to do it. Alexander Graham Bell was laughed at…and bankers didn’t take him seriously…just as well he didn’t give up or we wouldn’t have the telephone. And we won’t go into Walt Disney’s bankruptcies because everyone uses that example!
So the thought is: don’t quit do or trying when success could be waiting just around the next bend… and if it isn’t, it maybe the bend after that. If something is worth doing or worth having, it’s worth persevering for. You need to understand and accept that challenges are not signs you should quit, rather, they’re part of life. If you were never tested, how would you grow, learn, or improve? And where would the fun and satisfaction be if everything landed easily in your lap?
Problems are just ‘bumpy’ experiences in road of life. Everyone is facing, has faced, or will face some kind of adversity, and not just once, but many times. This doesn’t signal the end. It’s an experience and an opportunity for personal growth. The wonderful thing about overcoming challenges and adversities is that once you’ve faced and overcome them, you don’t face the same problem again. It’s like being in school. Once you’ve passed the exam for one grade, you never have to sit that exam again.
Next time you think of quitting, ask yourself if you’re quitting for the right reasons. Are you quitting because you’ve realized that what you’re doing really isn’t ‘you’ after all, or your existing idea doesn’t work, or you’re facing challenges that seem insurmountable…so you just give up?
What are the challenges exactly? First of all, resolve to never refer to a ‘hitch’ as a problem…rather use the words used in this article…challenge, adversity, obstacle, etc. Then isolate them and then brainstorm possible solutions. On a sheet of paper list the challenge(s) and next to each, list all the ideas you can think of to resolve them. What do you need to do? What can you do, within the reality of time, money, energy, resources, etc.? List all the ideas, even those that seem silly or futile. Be creative with your solutions. Do you need to change anything? What and how will you do it? What can you re-do, or do differently? What resources are available to you in your community to help you…such as free small business advice, etc. Consider getting an expert opinion before deciding to quit… after all, someone with more experience or knowledge may be able to get you back on track and that much closer to reaching success.
Also, ask yourself, what have you learned from facing these challenges; what are you learning now? What insights do these challenges present? Whatever you do, don’t compare yourself and your situation to others. Too often, people see successful people, enjoying their wealth, position, etc. and assume it came “easy” for them. You don’t know the long hours, the sweat, the failures, etc. that came before their ‘great success.’ And if you persevere…if you work at it, you too can sit back one day and enjoy the fruits of your labor and taste for yourself the sweetness of success.
So, stick with it…your ultimate success may be just around that corner, wrapped in the cloak of a ‘challenge’…
