Don’t Quit

Don’T Quit

~ Edgar Albert Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
when the funds are low and the debts are high,
and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
when care is pressing you down a bit –
rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns.
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about
when he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
you may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up
when he might have captured the victor’s cup;
and he learned too late when the night came down,
how close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out –
the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
and when you never can tell how close you are,
it may be near when it seems afar;
so stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
it’s when things seem worst, you must not quit.

       When you feel like you are drowning and you have nothing left to give, you must hold on for just a little longer.  Because the moment you throw in the towel is often the moment the tide will change directions, so you must find the strength to keep treading water even as the current threatens to overtake you.  No matter how bad you want to quit. . .Never Give Up.  Have faith that better days are coming.

It Couldn’t Be Done

It Couldn’T Be Done

Edgar Albert Guest

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done
But he with a chuckle replied
That ‘maybe it couldn’t,’ but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it!

Somebody scoffed: ‘Oh, you’ll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it;’
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That ‘cannot be done,’ and you’ll do it.

           There will always be people around whispering in your ear that you can’t do it, that you will fail.  But, you shouldn’t listen to these negative voices.  First of all, who has the right to tell you that you won’t succeed or that you aren’t good enough?  The answer is no one.   Second of all, you won’t know whether or not you can succeed at something UNLESS you first try.  And then if you fail, so what, sometimes things just don’t work out and the most important thing is that you tried.  You’ll never regret all the chances you took, but only the opportunities you let pass you by without ever even taking a swing.  So get up, grab your bat and when a ball comes your way. . .take a swing!

Life Steps

Life Steps

~ Catherine Pulsifer

Our entire life is made up of choices,
What we decide,
the action we take,
the attitude we display
All represent the steps of life.

Sometimes we take two steps forward
And one-step back.
Some of us take baby steps
Some of us take giant steps

But the secret is not to let that
one step back turn into a failure.
Learn from backward steps

And keep on stepping forward in this dance
Called Life!

           In life, you will inevitably take a step backwards.  The key is not to let life’s setbacks completely derail you from being able to move forward again.  Instead, use every setback as a learning and growing opportunity.  And most importantly, always remember that life isn’t about the number of times you fall; rather, it is about the number of times you find the strength to stand back up.

Stay True to Yourself

If

~ Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

             It is a rare gift to truly know oneself.  It is an even rarer gift to not let this world and the people in it change you.  I have come to realize that before you can find true happiness, you must first accept, embrace and love yourself.  When you do this, you will find it easier to remain true to yourself as you navigate the waterways of life.  When you know who you are, you develop this unwavering inner strength that aids you in standing firm in your beliefs when the world seeks to strip away your very soul.  So, when the world, society, coworkers, family and friends try to change you, remember to always remain true to who you are and never compromise your moral compass.

He Gathers Every Teardrop

He Gathers Every Teardrop

~ Author Unknown

Regardless of the circumstance,
Regardless of the fear,
Regardless of the pain we bear,
Regardless of the tear.

Our God is ever in control,
Performing as He should,
And He has promised in His Word
To work things for our good.

But as a loving Father would,
He sometimes lets us cry
To cleanse the hurt out of our heart,
To wash it from our eye.

Yet gently gathers the tears
Within His hands to stay
Until He turns them into pearls,
and gives them back someday.

          God didn’t promise us a life free of pain and suffering.  Instead, he promised that he would never forsake us.   So, this means there will be times in life where we suffer unimaginable sorrow and devastation.  But, it is during these moments when you are facing your darkest hour that you must have faith that God has a plan for you.  Your pain has a purpose – your soul is being laid bare to prepare it for new love and joy that is coming your way.  God is always in control.  So, when your life begins spinning out of control, grab hold of God, our anchor, and have faith that better days are coming.

This Too Shall Pass

This Too Shall Pass

~ Helen Steiner Rice

If I can endure for this minute
Whatever is happening to me,
No matter how heavy my heart is
Or how dark the moment may be-

If I can remain calm and quiet
With all the world crashing about me,
Secure in the knowledge God loves me
When everyone else seems to doubt me-

If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That darkness will fade with the morning
And that this will pass away, too-

Then nothing in life can defeat me
For as long as this knowledge remains
I can suffer whatever is happening
For I know God will break all of the chains

That are binding me tight in the darkness
And trying to fill me with fear-
For there is no night without dawning
And I know that my morning is near.

         When you are going through hell, it is so hard to imagine better days ahead.  You feel broken and alone.  It is in these moments that you need to focus on surviving the next minute, hour, day, week, and so on.  As time progresses, you will begin to realize that the storm clouds will recede and even though you may be a little worse for wear, you will survive the storm.  So, it is when you are at your lowest that you must have faith that no matter how long the night, the dawn will break.

60 Things That Are Happening Right Now

60 Things That Are Happening Right Now

~ Author Unknown

  1. Somebody is very proud of you.
  2. Somebody is thinking of you.
  3. Somebody is caring about you.
  4. Somebody misses you.
  5. Somebody wants to talk to you.
  6. Somebody wants to be with you.
  7. Somebody hopes you aren’t in trouble.
  8. Somebody is thankful for the support you have provided.
  9. Somebody wants to hold your hand.
  10. Somebody hopes everything turns out all right.
  11. Somebody wants you to be happy.
  12. Somebody wants you to find him/her.
  13. Somebody is celebrating your successes.
  14. Somebody wants to give you a gift.
  15. Somebody thinks that you ARE a gift.
  16. Somebody hopes you’re not too cold, or too hot
  17. Somebody wants to hug you.
  18. Somebody loves you.
  19. Somebody admires your strength.
  20. Somebody is thinking of you and smiling.
  21. Somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on.
  22. Somebody wants to go out with you and have a lot of fun.
  23. Somebody thinks the world of you.
  24. Somebody wants to protect you.
  25. Somebody would do anything for you.
  26. Somebody wants to be forgiven.
  27. Somebody is grateful for your forgiveness.
  28. Somebody wants to laugh with you.
  29. Somebody remembers you and wishes that you were there.
  30. Somebody is praising God for you.
  31. Somebody needs to know that your love is unconditional.
  32. Somebody values your advice.
  33. Somebody wants to tell you how much they care.
  34. Somebody wants to share their dreams with you.
  35. Somebody wants to hold you in their arms.
  36. Somebody wants YOU to hold them in your arms.
  37. Somebody treasures your spirit.
  38. Somebody wishes they could STOP time because of you.
  39. Somebody praises God for your friendship and love.
  40. Somebody can’t wait to see you.
  41. Somebody loves you for who you are.
  42. Somebody loves the way you make them feel.
  43. Somebody wants to be with you.
  44. Somebody wants you to know they are there for you.
  45. Somebody is glad that you’re his/her friend.
  46. Somebody wants to be your friend.
  47. Somebody stayed up all night thinking about you.
  48. Somebody is alive because of you.
  49. Somebody is wishing that you noticed him/her.
  50. Somebody wants to get to know you better.
  51. Somebody wants to be near you.
  52. Somebody misses your advice/guidance.
  53. Somebody has faith in you.
  54. Somebody trusts you.
  55. Somebody needs your support.
  56. Somebody needs you to have faith in them.
  57. Somebody will cry when they read this.
  58. Somebody needs you to let them be your friend.
  59. Somebody hears a song that reminds them of you.
  60. Somebody needs you to send this to them.

You are loved.  You are not invisible.  You have a purpose.  You were born to shine.  You are beautiful.  You are enough.

Never Let Anyone Tell You Differently. . .

You Matter!

Unconquerable Soul

Invictus

by W.E. Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

         When the storm clouds roll in and the darkness envelopes your soul, it often feels like the rain will never let up.  You see no way out.  But, it is at these moments when you are at your lowest that you must remember that even though your body may be broken, your spirit will never be defeated.  You, and only you, are the master of your fate . . . the captain of your soul.  So, go calmly into the night, unafraid of what awaits you for you have an unconquerable soul.

The Brilliant Light from Within

“It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.”

– Doe Zantamata

          I picked this particular quote because it not only encapsulates our daily inner struggles, but also provides hope that even in our darkest hours, there is light.  As we go through struggles, it is so hard to see outside our own self-imposed, yes self-imposed, bubble of misery.  It is so easy to just sit and wallow in our despair and utter sense of hopelessness.  I get it.  I have been to the fiery pits of utter despair and desolation.  I have stood on the shore of self-doubt and self-recrimination.  And through it all, I have discovered an inner strength that I never knew existed.  I realize now that this inner strength and light is within each of us.  No matter what we go through in life, no matter how painful and devastating, our candle, the light of our soul, will never be extinguished.  It may be masked, but never gone.  It is and has always been there, waiting for the day when you can open you heart and let it shine.

Spread Your Wings & Soar

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.

– Henry Ford

      Sometimes it seems that you can’t catch a break.  Everyone and everything is against you. . .you find yourself caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place.  It is at these moments that you need to take time to remember that to experience some of the most beautiful things in life, you have to fight an uphill battle.  I mean, one of our greatest achievement – flight – occurs in spite of having all the cards stacked against it.  Never forget that even a plane has to battle against mother nature to achieve unimaginable heights.  And just like a plane, you too must first battle the winds before you can soar.