Don’t Give Up!

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So many of us are looking for our big shot, the chance to do what we dream about, or looking to get that job or opportunity that lies right in front of us. With the tough recessionary conditions and the struggling economy we have been hit by obstacles and roadblocks that have kept us just short of our desires.

While enjoying a “use it or lose it” vacation week, I got the opportunity to read some non-business novels and found Joel Osteen’s “It’s Your Time” in my lap. Now whether you enjoy Osteen’s books or not, he has a motivating message to share that we can all learn from. He believes through his faith that your dreams and passions are often realized when the going gets toughest. The last vestige of resistance comes when you are struggling the worst. I found a story he relates through a study on rats, a true illustration of “attitude”, something the strongest entrepreneurs believe is an integral part of success. His story illustrates that if you hold on just a little bit longer and focus on that pinpoint of potential success you can make it longer than you think.

Here it is…

“I read about an experiment that attempted to measure the power of attitude in rats. The researchers wanted to see how the rats’ attitude affected their will to live. They put one rat in a large tub of water with high sides so it could not get out. Then they put the tub in a dark room. They timed how long the rat would keep swimming before it gave up. The rat lasted a little over three minutes.
Then the researchers put another rat in the same tub, but this time they allowed a bright ray of light to shine into the room. That rat swam more than 36 hours, seven hundred times longer than the rat with no light.
Why was that? The rat with no light had no hope. When he looked ahead he saw only darkness. There wasn’t any reason to keep swimming”

Something started you on your path to your current venture.

Something motivates you every day to continue to swim towards your dream.

Something gives you hope that tomorrow will bring you closer to your outcome.

It’s your hope.
It’s your attitude.

Keep swimming……you are almost there.

Tags: attitude, dreams, hope, leadership, motivate, passions, swingley, talent

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Comment by Andy Swingley on November 20, 2009 at 10:00pm: @Hossam - thanks for your comment and right on! Hope IS reality when applied!

Comment by Hossam aboueissa on November 20, 2009 at 9:17pm: if you have dream you have hope,if you have attitude you have power,if you idea you have business,if you have not idea you have not business,it is the reality operation in hotels business,restaurants business,and catering business

Comment by Andy Swingley on November 20, 2009 at 1:52pm: @Amanda - glad you liked it!
@Jon - The future is bright....you gotta wear shades!
@ Susan - it's hard to relate a story about rats that comes off anything but gruesome if you know what I mean....

Comment by susan fawcett on November 20, 2009 at 11:52am: Andy, I love this post...it's a little gruesome in the beginning with the rats, but ends with such a cool message...very inspirational! Love the link to entrepreneurs....we need to have hope, see the light, stay focused and keep swimming!

Comment by Jon Gillespie on November 20, 2009 at 10:25am: This is the right message for right now. 2009 has been tough on a lot of entrepreneurs (and a lot of people in general), but I also sense an optimism that 2010 is going to be better.