The Way Is Through!
“There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” Michael Phelps.
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Winston Churchill.
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.” Henry Ford
“Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life a champion.” Muhammad Ali.
“I am thankful for all of those who said no to me. It’s because of them I’m doing it myself.” Albert Einstein.
Many people have achieved remarkable feats that have changed the course of history and we remember them because of those breakthroughs. However, we often either forget or don’t pay attention to the journey in which they accomplished these achievements. History remembers our success, rarely do they remember or even comprehend that it was the short
failings that created the opportunity to the success. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb, in 1879 (after finally working out how to make it work) said “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
I wonder how many times we have almost achieved success to have only quit just before the victory. How many of us have dreams, goals or visions, but never achieved them because we quit?
How many attempts are we willing to take before we succeed? How many failures will be found in one success? As the Paralympics recently closed, I found myself inspired. I watched many events and were in awe of what these athletes achieved. Not only had they chosen a lifestyle of training in the hope of success one day, but each person pushed through obstacles
that many of us never have to overcome.
One event that inspired me the most was at the pool. Most of these athletes hopped or were wheeled to the pool for their event. As they jumped in the pool and began their race, you could see many were missing limbs, but each propelled themselves through the water at distances and times that I could even swim!
Most had visible disabilities (remember the word disability means to undo an ability). But, for all the obstacles they faced they conquered what was before them – that is inspiring!
I pity the person whose disability is not physical, but they choose to be disabled, to undo their ability, to overcome their obstacles in life simply by giving up, by quitting or by choosing to never face it.
Did you know success can come on through the obstacle? And, if we choose the obstacle that is too big, too strong, too large or seem impossible for us, then we fail to even taste success, how sad is that? Nothing should ever be bigger than what we can overcome.
It’s time to dust ourselves off and try, try and try again! To not let anything overwhelm us, to not let anything overcome us. You and I are born for greatness, not just to exist!
The difference between the person who achieves success and the person who doesn’t, is never that they were better, it is because they never quit.
Be the winner.
“Winners aren’t those who never fail, but those who never quit.” One of my favourite quotes by Edwin Louis Cole.
