Sometimes we feel like the world is conspiring against us. We come up with exciting new ideas and begin executing only to face challenges. We want to give up, to quit. We may think we have gotten ourselves in over our heads and wonder “what was I thinking?” Does this ever happen to you?
[shareable cite=”Napoleon Hill”]One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat[/shareable]
Law School
For months, I had been preparing, studying for the LSATs (Law School Admissions Test), jumping through financial aid hoops, securing living arrangements. I made all the plans, dotted every “i” and crossed every “t”. I was all looking good.
Loading my every possession into the back of an open top trailer, I hitched it to a ten-year-old GMC Jimmy and began the twelve-hour drive to my new life, San Diego CA. I had it all figured out.
California Dreamin’
It only took about forty-five minutes to unravel. The engine heat indicator shot to red and I was forced to pull to the roadside and let it cool.
Thirty minutes later I was back on the road, but only for twenty minutes before overheating again. The reality began to dawn. A twelve-hour drive at twenty minute intervals, I’d be lucky to arrive before the school session started. On the next twenty minute push a rod in the engine broke and the car was instantly totaled. In the middle of nowhere, two hours from my starting point, ten hours from my destination, my dream nearly ended.
With shoulders slumping and my head low I walked to the nearest town, used a payphone to call my dad and arranged to be picked up. I left the truck and my every possession on the side of the road and went back to my childhood home. We arrived after midnight and I was exhausted. I laid on the floor of my empty bedroom and determined law school, San Diego and all my plans were wrong. It was a sign; I wasn’t supposed to go.
Happens to All
In life, we will face with challenges, not knowing how close we are to success or the impact we can make. We can either endure or give up. This decision separates the successful from the failures.
3 Feet from Gold
In Think and Grow Rich, we learn of a man who got gold fever. He studied everything about gold mining and then selected his claim. He secured investments needed for all the equipment and start mining.
Luck Started on His Side
He quickly discovered a gold vein and became further convinced of his plan. His future was bright. But shortly the vein dried up; barely containing enough gold to repay his debts. He questioned his decision, “maybe it was a sign”, and ultimately in frustration he quit. He sold his equipment to a local junk man and returned to the city. Of course, the junk man took the equipment, went to the claim, dug a mere three additional feet and discovered a huge vein of gold with plenty of hidden wealth. The original miner quit too soon.
Sometimes You Need a Hand Up
As I lay on the floor that evening I had decided law school wasn’t for me. But thankfully I received a hand up. While I slept, my dad rented truck and arranged to have the old truck towed home. We attached the trailer and I made the journey to San Diego.
That is Life
This wasn’t the end of my challenges. At school, I couldn’t take the classes I wanted, I was denied residency and forced to pay out of state tuition and I broke my new surf board. But I also graduated, found a great job and met my terrific wife. I made memories that will never leave me.
I Learned
When you make plans, get enthusiastic and set goals you will face obstacles. It is the universe’s way of testing your commitment. But when you overcome the challenges, the reward is sweet.
5 Ways to Persevere When You Want to Give Up
- Look for a helping hand- a mentor, a friend or family who can help or give you encouragement.
- Trust your decision- The miner had done his research, he knew his trade and he had the equipment, what he lacked was trust and commitment to that decision. When a decision is made drive through to the victory. (tweet that)
- Celebrate the milestones and laugh about the obstacles- the law school journey has now become family lore. The reason we can laugh is we recognize the positive experiences, the lessons.
- Small victories- when you face any challenging task, look for the small victories. They confirm you are on the right path.
- Never quit- defeat is temporary and failure is only to those who quit before the reward is realized. (tweet that)
The Plaster Gold Buddha of Wat Traimit
In Bangkok Thailand sits a statue of Buddha. Officially called Phra Phuttha Maha Suwana Patimakon, it weighs 5.5 tons and is made of solid gold; the largest solid gold Buddha in the world.
The story behind the statue is far more interesting. Believed to have been created in India during the 13th century, the statue was moved to what is present day Thailand as part of the Ayutthaya kingdom. To protect it from being stolen, the statue was completely covered in plaster. It remained covered for hundreds of years and was eventually forgotten.
In 1767 Burmese invaders destroyed the Ayutthaya kingdom and the statue lay among the ruins, not attracting much attention.
In 1801, the Thai king ordered temples to be built in Bangkok and decorated with old Buddha images from the ruins around the country. Finally, in 1954, as the statue was being moved once again, the support ropes broke and the statue fell. Some of the plaster chipped off revealing the true treasure within.
Today Wat Traimit, where the solid gold Buddha sits, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bangkok. The statue’s gold is estimated at over $250 Million dollars and is an important historical artifact.
For us, it is a reminder that sometimes we need to be dropped and chipped a little to reveal the true treasure; the treasure that existed all along within us.
The next time you think you have set out on the wrong path, as the obstacles mount, the engine heat indicators flash and the pressure to quit increases, just remember that you are three feet from gold.
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