The enemy waits and listens for your desperation. When you can no longer feel what hope looks like, the enemy of your soul pounces on your confidence, interrupts your dreams, and will cast a very dark shadow of doubt over what you want to be or do in your life.
The enemy does not want you to be successful. It delights in breaking you down to the point you surrender and say things like, “What was I thinking, I can’t do something like that,” or “There is no way I will ever be able to [fill in the blank].” When you give up, you give in to the temptation to quit, to surrender, to just stop trying. There are many reasons why many of us choose to give up. We either run out of time, money or energy. We just can’t quite see the results of our efforts.
However, when the urge to quit is at its strongest, this is when success is just a very short distance away.
At this time, be aware the enemy turns up the heat and fuels our disappointment with cynicism and sarcasm the enemy, you see, is the self-limiting tape that plays in your head and tells you that you are not are enough, or you are not worthy to obtain the things you want and deserve.
You empower the enemy when you listen to this tape and don’t turn it off. Maybe it’s just you don’t know how, or think, you are allowed to play a new tape.
No matter what you were told or learned as a child, you can be, and do, any thing you choose in life. If you want it bad enough, you will achieve your goals and dreams.
One question though: “How badly do you really want it.?” Do you want it so badly you are willing to make adjustments in your life that may be uncomfortable or inconvenient? Are you willing to get up earlier or go to bad later in order to work on your dream?Are you willing to work a second job in order to pay for the education you need to accomplish your goals? Are you willing to keep rolling that rock up the hill, day after day, until your hands are covered with blisters and your back is screaming in agony, but you know one day you will indeed make it up that hill?
Are you willing to walk through the fear and into the growth that lives on the other side?
You can defeat the enemy. You are stronger and smarter. The day you decide to give up on whatever it is you are working so hard to accomplish, will be the day before you achieve it , but you would never know it. The enemy of your soul will win – game over.
Instead, pick yourself up. Think about how good it will feel when you cross the finishing line. Think not only about how good it will feel to finally accomplish your goal, but think about how good you are going to feel about yourself for finishing.
When you feel like giving up, this is the time to reach down deep into your soul. Shut off the tape that plays the lie you can’t do it. Replace it with a new tape that states the truth – you are a worthy person and the enemy of your soul has been defeated.
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January 30th, 2008 at 6:14 am
Yes, everyone will sometimes feel like giving up. It is not how many times we get knock down but how many times we get up.
If we want to stay in the fight, we must get up before the count of 10.
Else you will not have a chance to win.
Gamy
January 30th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Great article Alex! Very true about the urge to quit being the strongest when you’re almost there. Sometimes you just need to ignore how far you may have to go and focus on the steps to get there. Every step accomplished is another success, even if it’ll take thousands of steps to succeed, before you know it, you’ve cruised straight through those steps.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:46 am
This article is a great spirit-booster, thanks!
January 31st, 2008 at 11:58 am
Thank you Kristen. Sometimes a good spirit-booster helps all of us!