Keep On Keeping On

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”

Dale Carnegie

Happy Monday! 

I hope you had an enjoyable weekend!

There is a song that Curtis Mayfield wrote back in 1971. The lyrics were inspiring as they espoused facing our challenges, turning from the darkness and looking toward the light, and embracing the warmth of faith and love through life’s ups and downs. The song’s title is Keep On Keeping On, and it’s where my mind went this weekend as I thought about the trials and tribulations of family, friends, colleagues, and clients.

The work we do is a constant test of our strength and flexibility. It doesn’t matter what walk of life we’re in or what our specific profession is; there’s a commonality in pursuing excellence in ways that take courage and perseverance. I can’t tell you how many times just this week I used the words this work is tough; it takes a lot of courage, and keep on working through it, you’ll get to the other side. The phrases remind me of the lyrics in the song I just mentioned – we just keep on keeping on – until we get to the place of healing and wholeness.

Then there are the significant contributions of those who pursue, even when the odds are stacked against them. I think of discoveries that changed our world for the better. For example, where would we be without electricity or phones? What about all the medical and mental health breakthroughs in recent decades? And how about electronics? Many of you don’t remember having to find a payphone to make a call or manually writing all your papers after you’ve spent countless hours sifting through catalogs and books in the library. We’ve come a long way from those days!

If any of the creative geniuses who discovered the items and processes I mentioned had given up, we’d be in the same place as we were years ago. And, when we hesitate to care for ourselves and others, we deprive people of our gifts and talents. When we quit, we not only quit on ourselves but on those who would benefit from our knowledge and persistence.

This quote from Dale Carnegie underscores the need for persistence. We’re only human, after all, and we need to feel hopeful to continue maneuvering through this experience we call life. We need to continue trying to learn that math equation or conquer our attempts at mastering a new language. We need to surrender our timeline to the process when working through depression or anxiety. We need to spend one more hour on that guitar lick or keyboard run. We need to make our voices heard in the midst of inequality or injustice. We need to keep on keeping on until we exhaust every possible avenue that leads to success and, ultimately, needed change.

It’s rarely simple or easy, but the rewards are far-reaching and can literally change lives. We owe it to ourselves to remain hopeful in the throes of adversity because we need to see our goals and dreams come to fruition. We just can’t quit when there’s so much at stake.

Let’s examine our motives as they relate to our contributions this week. We may need to try a little harder or be more focused on the tasks that will lead to the fulfillment of our dreams. We can look at how to keep hope alive when we feel defeated or deflated. Maybe we need to take a break, reevaluate, and then return to being awesome.

Consider what you need to accomplish your goals, remain hopeful, and keep on keeping on!

Be Well & Be Blessed!

Lucinda