Hang in there

There are times when all seems lost. We've all been there. The job of a lifetime turns sour, that one true love turns out to be a mirage, or you have really screwed up and there is little hope for turning things around. You may be so crushed and scared that you can't even see where things went wrong.

You may feel very much like this lizard, who had been so careless that he was caught by Buffy, our old huntress

When you find yourself in this kind of situation, there are at least two ways you can go. You can bow to the inevitable and take your lumps, or you can defy all reason and insist on working your way through to a more satisfactory conclusion.

The first way absolutely guarantees that you will end up smaller and weaker, possibly dead.

Choosing the second path, giving no quarter, and keeping your own counsel is no guarantee of success either. However, if you survive, you will emerge stronger and smarter.

It's a hard choice and no one can make it for you.

Giving up in the face of superior force is no shame, but that choice may lead to a surprising loss of integrity. Hanging in there and toughing it out until you find a way to handle your situation with honor is the best way.

If you got into your current predicament because of an error in judgment, take that as a sign that you are missing vital data. Treat failure as a learning experience and you will emerge from each failure emotionally stronger and more ready to tackle life.

Life is continually changing. The successful actions of a few years ago may cause a business to close today. There is no rest point, only change.

Social and political situations may change so radically that your once comfortable life can vanish in a few months. Failure to anticipate threats can expose you to dangerous situations like that pictured above.

If you find yourself in the grip of adverse circumstances in spite of your best efforts, do not give up. If you are pursuing a worthwhile goal, you may find the inspiration you need to wrest yourself from your current disaster and move on to other challenges.

Buffy carried this lizard around by his foreleg for at least a half hour. Each time she tried to pin him down with a paw, the lizard desperately pulled himself out of harm's way. When she finally put the lizard down in order to get a better grip, he was gone before she could bite down.

(I took this picture many years ago and have revisited this subject several times on this blog. Each time I discover new insights. This time I decided that ending something on your own terms is a more satisfactory learning experience than ending it because you are forced to do so.)

There are times when all seems lost. We've all been there. The job of a lifetime turns sour, that one true love turns out to be a mirage, or you have really screwed up and there is little hope for turning things around. You may be so crushed and scared that you can't even see where things went wrong.

You may feel very much like this lizard, who had been so careless that he was caught by Buffy, our old huntress

When you find yourself in this kind of situation, there are at least two ways you can go. You can bow to the inevitable and take your lumps, or you can defy all reason and insist on working your way through to a more satisfactory conclusion.

The first way absolutely guarantees that you will end up smaller and weaker, possibly dead.

Choosing the second path, giving no quarter, and keeping your own counsel is no guarantee of success either. However, if you survive, you will emerge stronger and smarter.

It's a hard choice and no one can make it for you.

Giving up in the face of superior force is no shame, but that choice may lead to a surprising loss of integrity. Hanging in there and toughing it out until you find a way to handle your situation with honor is the best way.

If you got into your current predicament because of an error in judgment, take that as a sign that you are missing vital data. Treat failure as a learning experience and you will emerge from each failure emotionally stronger and more ready to tackle life.

Life is continually changing. The successful actions of a few years ago may cause a business to close today. There is no rest point, only change.

Social and political situations may change so radically that your once comfortable life can vanish in a few months. Failure to anticipate threats can expose you to dangerous situations like that pictured above.

If you find yourself in the grip of adverse circumstances in spite of your best efforts, do not give up. If you are pursuing a worthwhile goal, you may find the inspiration you need to wrest yourself from your current disaster and move on to other challenges.

Buffy carried this lizard around by his foreleg for at least a half hour. Each time she tried to pin him down with a paw, the lizard desperately pulled himself out of harm's way. When she finally put the lizard down in order to get a better grip, he was gone before she could bite down.

(I took this picture many years ago and have revisited this subject several times on this blog. Each time I discover new insights. This time I decided that ending something on your own terms is a more satisfactory learning experience than ending it because you are forced to do so.)

Comments

[Dickie]

Great post David! Thanks for the reminders in our current times.

[Brad]

I've found that whenever a situation changes, either by our own works or things beyond our control, it's not so much that something ends, but more how we react, respond, and reset our sails to adjust our course. It's true that when one door closes another opens, It's how we handle the hell in the hallway between the two that makes the difference.