Never Give Up – Never Surrender
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising each time, we fall.” Confucious
Hurdles in life are inevitable. If we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t appreciate our accomplishments nearly as much.
It’s sort of like my experience of the weather now that I live in Britain with the frequent rain, I appreciate, (and cherish!), sunshine so much more than I ever did when I lived in South Africa. I’d be lying if I said that having this insight made it easier to bear the hurdles, (or indeed at times the endless grey skies and rain), but if there’s one thing that I stand by, it’s that we cannot let those hurdles keep us down.
I’ve worked so hard in the past, and been knocked down or tripped up so many times! At times this was through making poor, misinformed, or uninformed decisions.
What caused more upset than those poor and misinformed decisions, was when my falls were due to being ripped off by people that I trusted. In business, as is the case with life generally, there will always be people that we have to trust and depend on, and unfortunately, in the case of business, having that trust broken can cost financially, as it did with me. It does not mean that we stop trusting; it just means that we make more informed decisions because I can tell you that nothing caused me more torturous moments than knowing that I had fallen because I had made uninformed decisions. These errors in my judgment that cost me quite heavily, are the ghosts that haunt me, but what they remind me of, is that I need to learn from my mistakes continually. Those in the know, and I need to persist with acquiring knowledge through fantastic mentors and business partners. More than anything, the ghosts remind me of a place that I never want to return to, and for this reason, they spur me on.
Giving up has never been an option. Because I’ve persevered, learned from my mistakes, made more well-informed decisions, networked with good people, and applied what I’ve learned from some of the best in the world, it’s confirmation to me that dedication, working smart and consistent action pays. I’m on my way to where I want to be, and I sincerely hope that you’re on that same journey too. It is a path I haven’t walked alone, and for all the obstacles that have come my way, I’ve had twice the number of excellent, supportive people in my life. So this post is also a dedication to them, (and I encourage you to think about those special people in your life too), a huge ‘THANK YOU!’ to all the beautiful, genuine people who walk alongside me. Your support and encouragement mean more than I could ever express, and my success will always be shared.
