I believe in never giving up. Thomas Edison once said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” I believe persistence is among one of the most important qualities a person can have. The strength from within that pushes one to try just a little bit harder each time stems directly from a desire to overcome the challenge and prove something. Whether that proof be personal or public, it represents a challenge laced with doubt that was both mentally and physically conquered.
I run cross country, which is more commonly known as a grueling physical sport. Anybody actually participating in the sport would most likely agree that running several miles is completely mental. By this I don’t mean insane, but more so that your legs will keep going no matter what. It’s your mind telling you constantly that “this is stupid” and “you should just stop.” What never giving up means in cross country is finishing each and every race without walking, and being able to say that you tried your best.
This past weekend, the Lyons Township cross country team had their first real meet. I ran a time that is a personal record for me, but what is more important is that I ran six minutes faster than I did in this particular race last year. This accomplishment came from attending every practice and conquering any doubt that burdened me.
Never giving up is a long term goal. There will be many obstacles, and those who don’t do well in life choose to let themselves become too discouraged by a couple of roadblocks and not carry on toward their goal. The people who succeed in life fight their way to the top.
The human race as a whole is constantly overcoming obstacles and pushing just a little bit further. Look around you, and the faces you see are faces that deal with their own pain and their own personal obstacles. We’ve all had those days that we have absolutely no inclination to get out of bed. Yet, we always do. Never giving up means facing the challenge that comes with each new day. Luckily for us, everybody you’ll ever meet is going through the same dilemma. We can lean on each other, and be those spectators at the race of life that cheer the athletes on.