The difference between giving up and changing courses; how do you explain this?
It can look very similar, especially to a kid.
I always tell my kids not to give up...just keep trying.
It seems that my 7 year-old has been listening {even though I really thought he wasn't}. In several instances in the last few weeks he has said to me, "But Mom, it's bad to give up."
I have been grasping at words, trying to explain the difference between throwing in the towel and checking the compass and altering your course to remain true to yourself and your overall goal.
Giving up means accepting failure.
Giving up means letting someone else take the gold.
Giving up means not pulling your weight.
Giving up means stopping in your tracks.
Giving up means sitting it out; staying in bed; refusing to get up off the couch; perpetually warming the bench.
Changing courses means making an adjustment in the plan.
Changing courses means diverging from the original path to make a navigational correction.
Changing courses means continuing on with a different final destination.
Changing courses means having a strategy.
Changing courses means you still have a goal in mind.
This is what I am telling him; this is what I am telling myself.
But it can be a fine line between the two.
And perhaps by telling yourself you are merely changing your direction you can blur the lines enough to fool yourself into believing you aren't actually quitting.
But sometimes quitting something and refocusing your goals is just the change one needs to keep moving forward.
See what I mean. It can be confusing. So, I think what it comes down to is your gut feeling.
Are you getting in too deep? Or are you just nervous you might forget how to swim? Or are you wading into a stagnant swamp? Or maybe the water is rough for the moment, but staying the course will bring you to calm seas. Or perhaps you're tired from treading water for so long and you need a break in the form of a rescue raft.
So, don't give up; throw in the towel; quit. You'll never get anywhere or do anything. That's not a very interesting way to live.
March on; keep your goal in your sight; adjust your flight plans; check your compass; examine your heart and your motives. Then, pick yourself up and get back on the road; put your nose to the grindstone; make hay while the sun is shining; work your magic.
Over and out…
Anna
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