In Life, There Is Time For Everything, Except To Give Up
It doesn’t matter which path we choose, the shortest or the longest. It does not matter if this path crosses a forest, a mountain or if it borders a beach. In each of them we will find obstacles. Because life is a zigzag journey with calm times, sunny days and moments of snow. But even so, we cannot give up, our will is uncompromising, and we rarely back down.
William Shakespeare pointed out that people are gardens. And our will is the gardener who takes care of us. It is a great truth.
In the field of motivational psychology, we know that no motor is as powerful as that energy which combines emotions, thoughts and behaviors for the same purpose. Because there is no obstacle that stands in our way if we act with confidence, remembering what we deserve.
Although we admit it, it is not always easy to act with this mental focus. Sometimes we forget our strengths and psychological abilities.
There are times when we find unexpected turns in our destiny, those in which we feel that we no longer have control over our reality and our mind, almost without knowing how it is filled with fear. How to handle these situations? How to remember this vital obligation that never gives up?
When we choose not to give up, we shine
In life, we have time and opportunities for almost everything. To be happy and unhappy. To laugh and fall with a broken heart. We love and hate, admire and distrust.
Our traveling feet and our curious mind have taken us to many places, to new countries to experience unexpected sensations. We learn and unlearn. We correct mistakes and make new ones.
In this journey of life cycles and stages, there is a companion who is co-pilot with us: the will to power. It is she who encourages us not to give up, she who takes the wheel in difficult situations to put us afloat.
However, as a study at Maastricht University in the Netherlands tells us, willpower is sometimes weakened.
This psychological dimension is directly linked to emotions. And, as is evident, the spirit does not always accompany. There are days when the anguish weighs excessively, like the ball of sadness and the maze of frustration.
In times like these it’s easy to give up, to tell yourself that nothing is worth it and that it is better to stand still, let the storm fall on us.
It is not appropriate. You don’t have to give up at almost any time in your life.
We must nurture that power that keeps us from giving up
As explained by the APA (American Psychological Association), most researchers define the will power that prevents us from letting go as follows:
- Ability to engage in our well-being
- Ability to turn off unnecessary thoughts (like the idea that I’m going to fail) to give strength, room, to those that allow us to focus on an achievement
- This, in turn, involves knowing how to regulate emotions. Understand that fears, for example, act like veterans in trying to overcome an obstacle, an adversity
- It is to understand that the will is an exhausting resource. We are not always motivated. It is our responsibility to awaken and nourish this psychological dimension on a daily basis.
Think you can: the key to self-efficacy
A mantra that is helpful in not giving up in difficult times is to repeat that we can. We have internal resources to overcome, to act, to resolve, to confront. It is true that no one has taught us to be strong, but sometimes we find that there is no other option but to stand up and persevere.
Albert Bandura has already stressed the importance of working on our self-efficacy. It is nothing more than confidence in our own ability to achieve something, to improve ourselves and to be successful. Bandura himself gave a very illustrative example of how this psychological dimension can help us.
Imagine ourselves in a room where there is only one exit. It is a very old and rusty locked door. We have a hundred keys, old and rusty too, and among all the keys that will get us out of there is one of them.
Self-efficacy is the assurance that sooner or later we will find that key. It can take a while and we may also need to try 99 until we find the right one. But, despite everything, we are not giving up.
People who don’t give up feel like hope
Sometimes you have to face reality. There are times when giving up, stepping back, or withdrawing from certain battles isn’t just the most appropriate thing. It may even be the healthiest. It’s true. However, 99% of the time, we are compelled to move forward, to awaken the courage and to hope that we don’t give up.
As we often say, the worst battle is the one we dare not fight. Life offers us unforgettable moments, but sometimes we go from calm to stormy in seconds. And in these times, there is no choice but to dress in the raincoat of hope and dance in the rain to wait for the sun to kiss us in the morning.
Because there is always a tomorrow where we do not give up, where we are daring and awaken our courage. Let’s keep this in mind.
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