Never Give Up, Never Surrender

I love that phrase from the parody SciFi flick ‘Galaxy Quest’. It makes me laugh because of the context

in which I first heard it, but it’s a phrase I find myself using often. Why? Because there are so many

situations at work or home where people around me (and myself) are on the brink of giving up.

Does that happen to you? You have spent hours on a project, only to learn that the direction has

changed and you’re forced to start over. You get excited about a new idea then it fades to panic when

you see what’s involved in actually executing. You hold on to that broken table, knowing in your heart

that one day the missing fourth leg will miraculously show up (wait, maybe that’s a different post).

Giving up is easy.(Note: not talking about smoking or drugs here, I’m talking about things that were

worth doing in the first place) Oh, there may be a few regrets, the odd raised eyebrow but anything’s

easier than what you’re going through right now, isn’t it? Well, let me tell you that choosing ‘easy’ is

usually the wrong way to go. Choosing easy means you didn’t challenge yourself or learn anything.

Choosing easy is equivalent to being lazy. And lazy is a one way ticket in the wrong direction.

I’m writing this post because I got paid today for an invoice that was outstanding for a very long time.

It would have been easy to write it off to keep the books clean but, dammit, I was not going to let that

happen. I bugged this guy for close to a year and today got my reward. It would have been easier to

remove the distraction and focus my energy on new work. But I just wouldn’t give up.

What are you thinking of giving up today? Can I talk you out of it?

I love that phrase from the parody SciFi flick ‘Galaxy Quest’. It makes me laugh because of the context in which I first heard it, but it’s a phrase I find myself using often. Why? Because there are so many situations at work or home where people around me (and myself) are on the brink of giving up.

Does that happen to you? You have spent hours on a project, only to learn that the direction has changed and you’re forced to start over. You get excited about a new idea then it fades to panic when you see what’s involved in actually executing. You hold on to that broken table, knowing in your heart that one day the missing fourth leg will miraculously show up (wait, maybe that’s a different post).

Giving up is easy.(Note: not talking about smoking or drugs here, I’m talking about things that were worth doing in the first place) Oh, there may be a few regrets, the odd raised eyebrow but anything’s easier than what you’re going through right now, isn’t it? Well, let me tell you that choosing ‘easy’ is usually the wrong way to go. Choosing easy means you didn’t challenge yourself or learn anything. Choosing easy is equivalent to being lazy. And lazy is a one way ticket in the wrong direction.

I’m writing this post because I got paid today for an invoice that was outstanding for a very long time.It would have been easy to write it off to keep the books clean but, dammit, I was not going to let that happen. I bugged this guy for close to a year and today got my reward. It would have been easier to remove the distraction and focus my energy on new work. But I just wouldn’t give up.

What are you thinking of giving up today? Can I talk you out of it?

MarnieHughes is an SEO copywriter, author and online marketer. She works with small and medium-sized businesses to develop their marketing and communications and expand their customer base.