“At some point the virtue of being persistent turns into the vice of denying reality.”

“At some point the virtue of being persistent turns into the vice of denying reality.”

—Chip Heath, Decisive

Image from Unsplash by Rosie Kerr

We have all been told that winners never quit and quitters never win.

To what degree do you actually live by these words in your personal and professional worlds?

I have embraced these words and think I must have an internal tattoo reminding me to never give up, and that persistence always pays.

How many books or stories have you read or heard throughout your life in which the underdog and hero within courageously stayed the course and triumphantly achieved their dreams?

Alternatively, how many stories have you heard in which this message has been swept under the carpet and hidden from view because of bad PR?

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways has your world changed?

What closed doors – some possibly locked forever – are you still trying to open with the key of persistence?

Where might you be denying a hard reality? Where might taking a new path be a virtue in which persistence would pay off once again?

Consider reading Seth Godin’s book, The Dip, to further explore when to quit and when to stick with some of your most important current and future decisions.

“Show up and turn lights on for people.”

“Show up and turn lights on for people.”

—Seth Godin, American Author

Image from Unsplash by Isabella & Louisa Fischer

Before electricity, the primary way to turn on the lights were fire, the occasional lighting storm, and of course, waiting for our sun to rise so we could begin our days.

These days, we live in a 24/7 world that never sleeps. With the ON switch always at the ready, why is it that so many folks are still in the dark with the covers pulled over their heads?

In today’s quote, Seth is probably referring to both external and internal fires of inspiration that have gone out and require more fuel and oxygen to breathe life into them once more.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you turn on a few more lights for others in your personal and professional communities?

How can you add a spark of encouragement and inspiration to help others rediscover their own inner fires?

Who can and will you show up for today?