What makes you give up and not try more?

Never Never Never give up. Winston Churchill

Try, Try until you succeed at last. Anonymous

Winners never quit, and quitters never win. Vince Lombardi

Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse but day after tomorrow will be sunshine. Jack Ma

We have time and again been inspired by these quotes, used them as encouragement to our children or friends and even said it to ourselves during some tough times.

But how do we use these quotes? Or rather in which life situation are these quotes applicable?

A startup entrepreneur, trying to make it big? Yes, for sure

A sportsperson aiming for the top spot? Yes, absolutely

A struggling actress waiting for her big break in films? Sure, why not

Who else? Would these inspirational, motivational quotes be any good to any of these:

An employee slogging his way through office politics?

A parent trying to be patient with a naughty child?

A couple who thinks living separately is better than living together?

We do see employees moving jobs, parents raising their hands and number of divorces rising around us. So, do we stop being this inspired by these quotes when we are stuck in situations like this? If our thinking is governed by our childhood, backgrounds, education, life experiences, our core value & belief system, then why do we behave differently in different scenarios? If you were this determined student who spent sleepless nights to ensure you cleared that entrance test, why now are you willing to not work on your relationship? You say, its reached a dead-end, and you did try your best, but sweetheart, didn’t you read the quote, at the end of the tunnel, there’s light?

What makes us so willingly give up on certain things, and hold on to others?

I asked my psychology friends and experts about their views on this.  And a unanimous answer received was, maybe the desire to want it wasn’t there at the first place, and hence one doesn’t mind losing it.

Basically, you give up on things you think are worthy of giving up. Even if it’s a marriage, a commitment to an employer, some misconstrued values, or even some virtues. And nothing wrong with it, right? That’s what’s called growing up?

Then what happens to the many quotes we read and wrote on promises? A promise is a promise

The things we once promised to either our own self or to someone else, we no longer wish to do them because they aren’t important enough now.

I have also always wondered, what is that moment when we feel enough is enough? When we are about to walk away from a situation forever and tell ourselves that this is beyond repair? In my experience of talking to people, there’s always a shining light that has brightened situations just when someone was about to give up. So why do we decide to not wait for that light, but to chart another path for ourselves?

Wish we could just keep trying and never lose hope of not achieving personal and professional milestones, that ways it will be easier to not break any promises, and hence not being guilty of causing breaks.

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