I recently gave a motivational/career talk to a group of UH students.
After my talk, one student came up and said, "I'm surprised you didn't
talk about never giving up. You should remind everyone to never, ever
give up."
I thought the concept of never giving up was so basic
that I didn't need to repeat it in my talks. But he insisted that
people need to hear it. I thought about it and had to agree. Sometimes
it's the most basic concepts we tend to overlook.
Practice
perseverance. We so often give up because it's easier to yield than go
against resistance. And sometimes we're just too tired or too distracted to go after what we really want. But it's better to remember that when things get in
our way or don't go as expected, we're often being directed to another
path, another point of view, another conversation. Obstacles are not put in your path to stop you, but to guide you to something else. Think of it not so
much as being taken away from what you want, but being led to something
better. We just need to be open to the possibilities that appear through
perseverance. Just like the stream that keeps on flowing, when you
persevere you can carve a path around, over, or through your toughest
obstacles. And oftentimes the greater gift is in the learning along the way.
(For
those who are curious about the above image, it was taken at the Lower Falls in
Yosemite. It was a very crisp, fall morning and I can still feel the chill in the air when I look at this image. I loved the fact that a rainbow formed as I was shooting.)
(And for those who have asked, yes, his image will soon be available for purchase on my website. Mahalo!)
