Driving home the other day, I noticed a sign outside a Church that said “you
will win if you don’t quit.” Now I am
assuming that the sentiment behind that was that the goal is something good. Since this particular church was across the
street from a BUSY casino, I immediately thought, well that’s not a very good
message to put on that sign. I have a
friend who is a “problem gambler”. Every
paycheck is spent at the casino. You
hear about it when she wins, but she never mentions how much she lost in the
pursuit of the jackpot she won. In this
particular instance, the sign would be better to read If you quit you will
win. Same with smokers. They will hit a health jackpot if they stop
smoking. Alcoholics too. Unless of course, the thing they don’t quit
is a program to help them overcome the smoking or the addiction. The Church sign was obviously a sign about perseverance. About keeping your eye on the goal and
continuing on toward it no matter what obstacles you face.
In my own life there have been several instances where I won
because I didn’t quit. For example, I
have won the heart of a wonderful man.
Had I quit hoping for love which would have been quite understandable if
you know of my dating experiences, I wouldn’t have met Joe.
I am in a pursuit at the moment of good health which means
that I have to keep going, keep exercising, keep starting over every day on my
resolve to lose weight and eat healthy, keep taking the medications prescribed
for me even though jabbing a needle in my belly 4 times a day is not that
pleasant. Not to mention the cost…and
the things I could use that money for instead of making the pharmaceutical
companies richer. This week I was in a “what’s
the point frame of mind” about my diabetes.
Seems that no matter what I do sometimes my blood sugar stays high. So, for a couple of days I said “to heck with
it” Not a good plan. When my sugar level rose to 488 yesterday and
my vision blurred and I felt like I had been ran over by a truck, I realized
that even the smallest of efforts matter.
As I sit and type this I am eating a spinach salad. I have been jolted back into reality. The reality that I am the only one that can
control me.
When I went back to school at the ripe old age of 42, there
were many times when I wanted to quit because I was tired. I had a full time job, two teenagers, a home
to upkeep and a lot of responsibilities.
I kept thinking, why am I doing this?
I don’t have to have a college degree.
I persevered. I met the goal and the
result was the satisfaction I gained from completing something that meant a lot
to me personally. I gained a better job
because I was able to apply for a promotion that required a degree. I gained more income because of the better
job. In short, I didn’t quit..and I won.
As the changes come daily at work because of new ownership,
new management, I have had many days where I thought, I can’t handle one more
change. What I have found though is that
I can handle change. I have dug in my
heels and am determined to keep going in spite of….whatever the problem of the
day is. And in doing so I have discovered that I am a lot more
flexible than I thought I could be, I am a whole lot more patient than I’ve
ever had to be, and I am discovering that in a lot of ways change is good.
Life is constantly changing and we have no choice in a lot
of things that come our way. The better
we are at adapting to our circumstances, getting to a go with the flow attitude
the less our health, mental and physical is affected. “This too shall pass” is my latest
mantra. I find it helpful to realize
that a week from now, the things that are stressing me out today will be
forgotten.
Soon the chaos of all the remodeling Joe and I are doing on
the house will be gone and it will sell and we will be one step closer toward
our goal of being debt free and living simply in a cabin in the country.
Every little effort brings you closer to your goal than you
were the day before. Sometimes we go backwards, as I have with my health at
times. Sometimes it seems that the goal
is so far off that we will never make it…. That’s when you have to adjust your
mindframe and realize that chipping away a little at a time brings
results.
I got a card from a friend not long after my divorce and I
framed it and hung it where I could see it every day. It was of a girl climbing
a rope. It read, When you reach the end
of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. I
still have it on my wall or at least I will when the painting is all done and I
hang stuff back up. I think of that
often when it seems like one more problem is thrown at me at work; or one more
person pushed the limits of my kindness.
The only option is to hang on.
This too shall pass. Don’t quit
and you will win.
When the circumstance of life get to be too much, take a
deep breath and keep on truckin’. Or as
the preacher at Church said a few weeks ago during a sermon….”put your hand in
the hand of the man who stilled the waters……..take a look at yourself and you
can look at others (or situations) differently.
Perservere. : continued
effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition
If you don’t quit, you will win.
L
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