Don’t Let Go Of

Let Go Of These
There are a number of things to let go of in life. One of these things is worry of which there is nothing more unproductive or personally debilitating. Each worry simply adds to one’s stress and we all know that stress build up over time can have serious health consequences.

Another thing to let go of is your lack of forgiveness to those who have wronged you. The act of keeping grudges for a behavior that has past is only to get that hurt active in your mind and, therefore, in your life. Your life should not be controlled by someone else’s actions and that is exactly what you are doing when you give power to old hurts and pains. Give your hurts away; give them up to forgiveness and move on with your life because old hurts don’t do you any good but can continue to harm how you think and even approach others.

And, even another thing to give up is past failures. If you are of the mind that believes that one failure has doomed any further attempts at whatever it is you may want to do then you are never going to accomplish what you are capable of. It doesn’t matter that you have failed because the best successful people all failed. If you have failed, you join the millions of others who have done so. But, if you join the thousands upon thousands who have failed but have picked their lives up and moved forward towards your goal then you set yourself apart.

Do Not Let This Go
I’ve mentioned a few things that are not worth keeping because they are more harm than good. But, there is certainly one thing you do not want to let go of. Just think about or read in books or on the Internet how many thousands of people did not let go of this one vital aspect of life. And that is don’t let go of your dreams.

From the time you were a little child and can remember things that you did, you probably started to make your way toward achievement by way of a dream; a thought that there was something you knew or desperately wanted to achieve. Just think back to those times when you got your first bicycle. Whether it had training wheels or not, what was prevalent in your mind was the burning desire to be able to ride down the sidewalk or through a park like you saw so many other children. And, probably, your first time on a bike didn’t go so well for you. You may have gotten only a few feet and then lost your balance and came crashing down. Maybe, you even skinned a knee or an elbow in your first attempt. Definitely, this could be viewed as a failure; a failure that once experienced could have sidelined you from ever riding your bike. But, what did you do?

Did you wheel your bike to the backyard or simply dump it onto the front lawn and walk away forever? I doubt it. You had a desire; a burning desire to ride; to be able to master a skill that would see you flying down the sidewalk, street or park. So, you got on it again and tried to make it without falling. Did you succeed? Maybe not. Maybe you were like me and spent more time on the ground than I did seating on the bike seat. Did that stop you? Did that stop me from trying again? No, absolutely not.

You, like me, probably tried again and again and with each new attempt, we made it a little further down the road or path before we fell again or had to jump off before we crashed. What was the secret to success? Was it one attempt or two or three or four or more? I think you know where I am going with this simple but effective example.

Again and Again and Maybe More
So, what lessons have become clear? First of all, it should be obvious that one attempt at anything may not be enough to get the job or task or accomplishment done. It is clear that the formula for success in anything one endeavours to accomplish means that failure is an integral part of success. This obviously refutes the assumption that failure is the end of all future accomplishments. It is also refuted that failure leads to further failure in that success often is a multiple action process where good lessons have been gleaned from past failures. It also tells us that bumps and bruises, or obstacles and roadblocks, are all part of the achievement process.

Secondly, we have learned that perseverance is the primary ingredient for any forward movement. Just as we saw in the example of one’s attempt to ride a bicycle for the first time in that it does not mean instance success.

Thirdly, success is not only dependent on perseverance but on one’s level of desire. In essence, the greater the burning desire, the greater are the chances for success.

If you have determination and belief in your dreams, you will succeed in spite of your desire to let go.

Another Example
One notable person who demonstrated this attitude was Washington Roebling. He and his father had a dream of building a suspension bridge. Not long after starting construction, his father died. Washington carried on but was struck with the paralyzing caisson disease. It was impossible for him to go to the site. But possessed with a dream, a strong desire, and with the help of his wife, Emily, he was able to complete the Brooklyn Bridge.

This story has many themes in it: determination; your dreams; and choice.

Here was a man who suffered the death of his father and became paralyzed, yet, because he was determined he did not give up on his dreams! So, what we have here is a demonstration of not only a superb level of perseverance and determination but a fantastic lesson in the power of having a burning desire to succeed despite great odds.

A Choice
In every situation we have a choice. We can either choose the negative or we can choose the positive — the choice is ours. In Washington’s situation he could have felt sorry for himself and gave up on his project. He chose, however, to continue with the help of others.

In situations you are confronted with which do you choose, the positive or the negative? It is easier to choose to give up than to get up. However, giving up never brings forth that which you are more than capable of achieving. Winners never quit and quitters never win. And, let’s take these examples even a bit further. If you are a parent or a leader you will want to pay close attention to what your behaviors demonstrate to those around you. Are you setting an example of being a winner despite the odds or are you known as a quitter who accepts defeat as their heritage or destiny in life?

The behavior of a winner no matter if they are a parent or a leader or a helper or a coach all depends on what message they constantly portray. I want you to think of one more example and that is of a favorite sports team whether that is baseball, soccer, basketball, football or hockey. Has your team ever lost a game? What did they do during their next game? Did they merely show up and go through the motions or did they go through the game as if their life depended on it? You know the answer.

Inspirational Quotes for Reflection:
“Set out each day believing in your dreams. Know without a doubt that you were made for amazing things.” Josh Hinds

“If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember this whole thing was started by a mouse.” Walt Disney

“Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” Napoleon Hill