Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Stream Always Wins



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!) 

8 comments:

  1. I love this sentence: "Obstacles are not put in your path to stop you, but to guide you to something else." Very true!

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    1. It's so true! I learned that as a literal lesson. I was photographing a military homecoming for a family and there was a huge concrete barrier in my way. From where I was standing I could only photograph the backs of people's heads. So instead of letting the barrier stop me, I edged alongside it and was able to capture the most beautiful expression on the face of a little girl as she saw her father coming off the plane. It was priceless.

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  2. Wonderful wisdom and gorgeous photo (of course!). Thank you for this jewel of insight and inspiration!

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  3. Thank you so much for you comments! I truly appreciate you taking the time to stop by!

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  4. I agree, that perseverance is one of the qualities that make you achieve your goals. However, I once in my life gave up on fighting after I had completely exhausted myself - and it turned out to be THE critical turnaround in my life - to let go and give in. That's why I don't spread that quote about never giving up. Can you understand? There are always exceptions. But that the softer power wins against the hard one is an amazing truth.

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    1. Yes, I agree that sometimes we try to "fight" so hard when we really need to just let go--and perhaps let the stream carry us??? Good for you for recognizing what you needed to do!

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  5. Perseverance is everything!!! What a wonderful blog!

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