When You Feel Like Giving Up…

I run my own business, which I started from scratch following a crazy idea in my head 11 years ago. I walked away from my stable teaching job and took a leap of faith. Some may say it’s admirable… at times I feel like it was downright stupid! But I’m here today, to tell the tale… still running the business, mainly because I’m stubborn and refuse to give up.

I’m also a professional entertainer. I sing for people every weekend, either alone or with other musicians. I leave myself wide open to criticism and people’s (often inebriated) opinions.

Both of those occupations leave me wide open to a roller coaster ride of emotions. And sometimes it’s really, really hard.

But every time I feel defeated and angry and decide ‘That’s it! I’m closing down…” I think back to the above picture… and I put my head down and keep going.

My late father was a huge fan of Winston Churchill. I had always known this, but it wasn’t until his recent passing that I began looking for quotes for his funeral service. Wow! Winston Churchill was amazing… here are two of my favourites....

My Dad, lived by this one. He even recited it word for word when he was first diagnosed with the horrible lung cancer that sadly got the better of him. I also really like this one….

Yep… I’ve definitely had my share of failures and bad decisions. But every time, I see it as a learning experience and keep going… surely before too long I’ll become an expert!

And finally, it’s just amazing how words can affect how a person lives their life. My father was a very private man. He didn’t show very much emotion. He didn’t tell us he loved us. He showed us. The most powerful influence he had on me was something he didn’t even say to me directly. When I was in my teens, my Mum told me that she and my father had been discussing me … which I guess parents do… and Dad had said that ‘Clare will be successful at anything she puts her mind to’. Those words, have remained in the back of my mind ever since. And every time I feel like giving up, I remember them…

So… isn’t it better to keep trying and keep striving for your dream rather than giving up? Because at least if it all fails, you’ll know you tried. But the alternative is to die wondering if you could have made it… But let’s face it. Is failure such a thing? Or just a set back that tests how badly you want something?

So keep going… keep believing … and don’t be scared… because there is no such thing as failure!