Never Giving Up

One of the easiest things to do in life is to give up when adversity lies ahead of you. The hardest thing to do is to look at the impossible and make it possible by never giving up. This mindset can begin at any age, but the earlier the better. Nothing is impossible. There are many examples of people who failed repeatedly but, through hard work and not giving up, they finally succeeded. Some of the greatest inventions of our lifetime were the result of multiple failures and never giving up.

My daughter turns 10 years old in two weeks. I was diagnosed with ALS six months after she was born. At the time, I was told I had 1-3 years to live. I was facing the impossible with this devastating news. Trust me when I say that the easiest thing to do would have been to give up. But I didn’t. I have now lived three times longer than predicted. It has gotten more difficult but, as my friend Steve Gleason says, “Awesome ain’t easy.” Miracles are all around us, but many are never recognized.

I have many more dreams and goals I want to achieve. Some are simple and some very personal and some may say impossible. What may seem improbable or impossible may just become my finest moment. And if one of my dreams becomes one of my finest moments, it won’t be just mine. It will be shared with someone. Many would give up on these dreams, but not me. I refuse to give up on them. I have plenty of life and love to give to others.

I hope that as you read this, you reconsider something you may have given up on previously. Believe in yourself and have faith that anything is possible in life. As the great Jimmy Valvano said, “Laugh, cry, and think every day, and don’t give up; don’t ever give up.”