Have you ever felt so defeated you just wanted to give up and run away?

Have you ever felt so exhausted you had nothing left to give?

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed that you didn’t know how you would ever get through this?

Have you ever felt that no matter how hard you tried, no matter how much effort you put out, you were always taking two steps backward for each single step forward?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then you know firsthand that life is not always fair, not always easy and not always forgiving.

Life Isn’t Fair

Few of us get through life without having to hurtle hurdles, navigate obstacles and climb barriers that stretch us beyond our limits, test our endurance and challenge our fortitude in ways we could never have imagined.

The measure of who we really are is determined not by what we’re dealing with, not by how much we are struggling, not by how much pain and discomfort we are enduring but rather by what we are doing to change our circumstances.

My many years of working with clients who have faced mind-numbing adversity and who have turned monstrous challenges into massive victories, have taught me that regardless of how defeated we may feel, we possess near endless capacity to pick ourselves up and keep fighting despite every cell in our body screaming for us to surrender.

The difference between those who succumb to the temptation of quitting and those who, against all odds, continue bruised, battered and bloodied with no thought ever given to backing down or retreating is simply a function on what they believe to be true.

It is said that no battle has ever been won on the battlefield without having first been won in the minds of soldiers

To fight on or to give up is really a debate taking place in our heads. The winner of the debate is decided, not by facts, but by the choice that is made.

All too often, when we are struggling with that choice, well intentioned friends, family members and colleagues are often quick to suggest that we have paid a high enough price and advise against continuing the fight as we have already paid a high-enough price.

These are caring people who have our best interests at heart and want to spare us further anguish and suffering.

Well-Intentioned

But remember: well-intentioned does not necessarily mean well-informed.

The debate in our heads will not be won by facts. It will be won by our emotions and the winning emotion will be the one we believe to be true.

I have never met a person who, when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenge and soul-destroying adversity, chose to continue the battle, endured even greater hardship, fought on and eventually emerged victorious, and then expressed regret for not having quit.

Victory always goes to those who last the longest, endure the most, never lose sight of their goal, set out each day to move a teeny bit closer to that goal and view all barriers as challenges to be overcome.

That’s you, isn’t it?

Till we read again.