I believe we all have experienced hearing or using “four-letter words”. These are words that if our parents or grandparents heard us say we would get our mouths washed out with soap. Four-letter words refer to a set of English-language words which are considered profane. When we hear these words, we are often offended because they can be vulgar, degrading, or hurtful. There is a literal four-letter word that can be said in public without being embarrassed, yet it is also in my opinion humiliating and defeating. This four-letter word is the word QUIT. I believe this word is a dream killer and causes winners to lose and makes cowards of us all. This four-letter word can take defeat out of the jaws of victory, it can turn success into failure, it can kill innovation and murder motivation.
There is a poem that was written by Edgar A. Guest, a man who was born in England and raised in Detroit, he wrote over 11,000 poems and was known as the “People’s Poet”. This poem is titled, “Don’t Quit.” I will not share all of it here, but the first part goes like this.
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you are 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 do not quit.
All of us have been running a marathon during this pandemic. And now we are experiencing new strains constantly. Some of us have experienced things that would cause us to want to quit, but no matter what we cannot. Life is filled with disappointments. People we love will hurt us, people we work with will disappoint us, leaders will let us down, but no matter what we go through we cannot quit. Life is worth living. The key is we have to understand why we are here and what we are living for. What inspires you to get up each day and to live another day? These are the reminders to help us when we are feeling low. We all experience tough days.
While holidays are a time of joy, they also can be an emotionally exhausting and difficult time. The holidays are when emotions come to the surface and can take control of us if we are not careful. For many people, it is a time filled with dejection, self-reflection, isolation, and anxiety. These emotions can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts. When confronted with these feeling we must not quit on ourselves or on life. We must trust God as well as lean on those in our life that really care about us. In the end God will never give us more than we can handle, we just have to hold on and do not quit.
When we make the decision to hold on and not give up, we never know who is looking at us and we may be the very example they need when they are going through tough times. We are in this game called life together, so remember whatever you do effects those around you. Stand up and stand strong and if you need a helping hand, just let someone know. Let us make 2022 an amazing year together.
Healing Without Hate: It’s a choice. It’s a lifestyle. Pass it on.
Visit www.WendyGladney.com and www.forgivingforliving.org to learn more. Wendy is a life strategist, coach, consultant, author, and s
