Going A Little Bit Further: Why You Shouldn't Quit Yet
A few weeks ago, I heard a great anecdote in my rector’s sermon. She talked of going hiking in Arizona, when she saw a group of people stopped on a rock ledge. My rector took the moment to rest and wondered what they were doing. While phone reception was scarce, one of them took out their phone, took a picture and said something,
“This’ll work for Instagram.”
I don’t know, if you’ve had a chance to visit rural Arizona. The landscapes including the red soil are truly awe-inspiring (inspiring awe). It struck me as odd and sad that those people had such a shallow “appreciation” for the sights that they settled just for what was “good for the ‘gram.” I can only imagine that there must have been even more beautiful sights that were even better for the “‘gram” had they gone a little bit further.
Hearing my rector’s anecdote reminded of a passage from the Napoleon Hill classic, Think and Grow Rich (Amazon Affiliate link). In Chapter 1, he wrote,
“R.U Darby, who later became one of the most successful insurance salesman in the country, tells the story of his uncle, who was caught by the ‘gold fever’ in the gold-rush days, and went west to dig and grow rich…After weeks of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery of the shiny ore…They had come to the end of the rainbow and the pot of gold was no longer there…They sold the machinery to a junk man for a few hundred dollars…He called in a mining engineer…The engineer advised that the project had failed because the owners were not familiar with ‘fault lines.’…the vein would be found just three feet from where the Darbys had stopped drilling!“
Whether discussing business or other undertakings requiring courage, the persistence that the excerpt refers to is one of the keys to achieving success. Often, the person or company that we remember is the one that reaches the finish line. While stories celebrate celebrities’ successes, what doesn't get enough attention are their obstacles and how they are overcome.
Examples:
Steve Jobs: forced out of Apple in 1985, after losing a battle against his board and CEO. Launched another computer company, NeXT, that didn’t last, but he brought some of those ideas back to Apple. In between NeXT and his return, he funded a little animation company, Pixar, whose first movie was….Toy Story (Amazon affiliate link).
Thomas Edison: according to accounts, it took Edison and his workers 1,000 attempts, before they were able to develop a light bulb filament that would last.
Colonel Sanders (KFC): held a number of jobs. At 40, he started selling friend chicken from a roadside gas service station. At 50, he perfected his “secret recipe” of 11 herbs & spices. At 62, he acquired his first franchisee. At 73, he sold his corporation, but retained a position as brand ambassador.
These are just a few examples of people, who overcame considerable obstacles to achieve their objectives. While we remember their brands (Apple, Pixar, GE & KFC), it’s not their brands that matter, but their tenacity. Had any of them given up because it “was too hard,” then they would have died as nobodies. Those of us that transcend difficulties can make a difference, even if it seems small.
When you find yourself facing challenges, remember that you’re not the only one. Remember that what separates you from the rest is your ability to crush your challenges. I recall my experience to those challenging moments that defined me, how I acted in moments and how I moved through them. I look back and am amazed at how far I have gone. When you do the same, I know that you, too, will surprise yourself.