Never Give Up

Never give up.
Never.
Never.
Never.
Never.
— Winston Churchill

One of my all-time favorite quotes.

Every once in a while, most of us think we just ought to give up.

At times like this, the words of Sir Winston keep coming to my mind. “Never give up,” he said – and he meant it.

Most people alive today have never studied Churchill’s challenges, and they have only a slight knowledge of World War II. They don’t know about the Battle of Britain, the worries about invasion, the fight when bombs rained down on London. They don’t know how Winston had setbacks galore, and sometimes struggled with depression, which he termed his “black dog.”

But the words he spoke, and the way he spoke them, helped the British people deter the invasion of one of the history’s most significant war-making machines – the German army and air force of World War II.

And it’s because Churchill refused to give up.

Should you give up? No.

How do you keep going? You simply refuse to stop.

The Los Angeles Times carried a story recently about a priest who is stricken with cancer, but has refused to give up – even though he lives each day in pain. He simply refuses to stop – even though he knows that someday, his body will make the decision for him.

We marvel at marathon runners, who somehow find the strength to run 26 miles – they simply refuse to stop.

We are amazed at young children, who no matter how many bumps, bruises, and falls they may encounter, don’t give up – they haven’t learned how to give up yet, so they keep on going. They refuse to stop trying to walk, even though they keep falling down.

How good it would be if each of us could learn that simple lesson – to keep persisting until our personal wars are waged, our battles are fought, lessons are learned, and the victory is achieved.

Sure, sometimes you may find a particular approach doesn’t work, and you have to change your direction – but that’s a far cry from throwing your hands in the air, looking toward Heaven, and giving up the struggle, before it’s even really made.

Some things in life are hard. Some things in business are difficult. Some parts of family life are challenging. That doesn’t matter – what matters is that you continue trying until you put the challenge behind you, with another opportunity addressed and another obstacle overcome.

When should you give up? Never.

Have a fantastic weekend!