Refuse To Give Up

Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of perseverance and a strong will in achieving success and realizing one's dreams, using personal anecdotes to illustrate the consequences of giving up.

Abstract

The text reflects on the idea that unwavering persistence and determination can lead to success, rather than just relying on talent, education, or aptitude. It posits that one's attitude and the will to win are the true determinants of success in any endeavor. The author shares his own experiences with regret—such as giving up on playing drums and pursuing a film career—and how these decisions led to a sense of loss. However, the author found redemption in fiction writing, self-publishing novels, and persevering with new dreams. The message is clear: to avoid a life of regret, it is crucial to pursue one's dreams with unwavering commitment and to learn from past mistakes, embracing the discomfort of hard work rather than the long-lasting pain of regret.

Opinions

The author believes that refusing to give up is a key factor in success, possibly more important than innate talents or acquired skills.
Regret over abandoned dreams or missed opportunities can be painful and should be a compelling reason to persist with one's goals.
One should not be limited by self-doubt or the beliefs that certain achievements are unattainable.
Success is not exclusively about the outcome but also about the process and learning from experiences.
The author suggests that engaging in creative pursuits (like writing) can serve as a new avenue for personal fulfillment even after past setbacks.
The author does not discount the possibility of revisiting old dreams, like potentially returning to playing drums or seeing one's books adapted into films.
Life is presented as a limited opportunity, where the pursuit of dreams should be taken seriously as one cannot redo their life.

Every successful person was an unknown person who refused to give up on their dreams.

It is true the persistence and determination are omnipotent. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Your talents and your education will not determine how far you go. Neither will your aptitude. It is your attitude and your will to win that will decide your altitude in whatever you are trying to accomplish. It may sound self-righteous and arrogant to say this, but like it or not it is true. Rid yourself of that self-limiting beliefs that you can’t accomplish anything. If someone else has done what you wanted to do, why shouldn’t you accomplish it too? Think of how great life will be when you go get your dreams and goals. You don’t want to be on your Deathbed wishing you had gone for it.

I look back on a few of my regrets. I played drums for a while and really loved doing that. With a friend in high school, we played together until he had to move out of province. Then with other friends through university and a couple years after that.

After I got kicked out of that band, I played off and on to my favorite songs. But didn’t put enough effort into finding a new band to play with. Part of that was probably that I was looking at a career in the film industry.

And that’s another regret. I had a moment of weakness after a volunteer shoot for my local cable channel. I was taken off the camera during a hockey game. As a result, I figured that there was no hope for a career in that business and I cancelled on taking a film making course. Biggest mistake of my life.

There are other jobs in the film industry besides camera work. I just had my mind set on that department. I think now, if only I hadn’t done that and gone into a different vocation in the film industry, where would I be now.

This is why I can say that you should never give up like I did. Because you never want to look back and think “If only, if only, if only.”

But now, I am a fiction writer of two novels that I have self-published. I have a few more on the way. And this is a dream I will not give up on. Like the Honeymoon Suite song Once the Feeling says, “It takes one dream in a lifetime and forget about the rest.”

So, think about what dreams you have that you are considering giving up on. I must tell you, don’t do it. Learn from the examples I gave you. The pain of regret is worse than the pain of discipline.

And maybe, just maybe, one of my books will be made into a movie. And perhaps I might start playing drums again.

Go for your dreams, you only live once.