Living with a Brain Injury and Making the Decision Not to Give Up
Living with a brain injury can be discouraging. As a result, we may want to give up. I have been there too. In this article I would like to share 3 visual metaphors that helped me to make the decision to not give up.
As you read this article, may you too make the decision to not give up on your process and journey.
If you would like to explore: Second Chance to Live Author’s Autobiography in Bullet Points
Making Sense of What may not Make Sense Now
Living life can be likened to the creation of a tapestry. One side only showing jumbled multi-colored threads, while on the other side something of great worth and value is being designed. Each thread woven together intricately. Each thread given to empower. Each thread birthing hope, purpose and destiny.
The Jigsaw Puzzle, the Tapestry and the Fable of the Tortoise and the Hare
The puzzle is made up of individual pieces. The tapestry is woven by combining multi-colored threads. The race is won with single steps. Individual puzzle pieces make little sense. Individual threads, with different colors seem out of place. And, single steps by themselves seem to be like they are never enough.
But the good news is as we learn lessons another puzzle piece of our destiny appears. And by changing the way that we look at our circumstances, we see each thread as necessary. And by committing ourselves to the process and journey, we take one more step toward winning our race, by not giving up.
“Our circumstances are not meant to keep us down, but they are meant to build us up. Build us up because they teach us lessons, that give us experiences. These experiences prepare us to take advantage of opportunities. And those opportunities teach us more lessons.” Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA
- Abraham Lincoln and Not Giving Up on Your Dreams
- Famous People who Failed Many Times before they Succeeded and Changed their “World”
Quotes Encourage me to Not Give Up
The first quote helps me to realize that I do not have to do many things to be effective. Instead, I can be effective and efficient on my journey by developing and becoming proficient in one skill at a time.
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one kick 10,000 times.” Bruce Lee
The second quote reminds me that life is made up of little things. By remembering this reality I can celebrate small successes without trying to prove anything to anyone. I am on my own journey.
“Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things.” Frank A. Clark
The next quote encourages me to not compare myself to anyone. Instead, I can learn how to use what I have been given. Use my gifts, talents and abilities in ways that will work for me, without judging my efforts.
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” Helen Keller
The next quote empowers me to pursue my passion, despite the expectation (s) that other people may have for me and my life. By letting go, I am able to honor the gift of my life and the One who gave me my passion.
“My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.” Pablo Picasso
The next quote reminds me that I do not have to wait for specific outcomes to be able to enjoy my journey. Instead, I can find satisfaction in doing the footwork while trusting the process and the outcomes to a loving God.
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” Robert Louis Stevenson
The next quote motivates me to keep moving, because I know that more will be revealed in time. The pieces of the puzzle will come together in the right order at the right time. Each thread will be weaved by design.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Through committing myself to the process, before long I will be able to look back and see how far I have come, because I did not give up.” Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA
The fable encourages me to run my own race, at my own rate and pace, because slow and steady wins. To run my race, although there may be hares in my life who may want to discourage, me along the way.
“Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s okay. You’re here to live your life, not to make everyone understand.” Banksy
The Tortoise and the Hare an Aesop Fable
One day a hare was bragging about how fast he could run. He bragged and bragged and even laughed at the tortoise, who was so slow. The tortoise stretched out his long neck and challenged the hare to a race, which, of course, made the hare laugh.
“My, my, what a joke!” thought the hare.
“A race, indeed, a race. Oh! what fun! My, my! a race, of course, Mr. Tortoise, we shall race!” said the hare.
The forest animals met and mapped out the course. The race began, and the hare, being such a swift runner, soon left the tortoise far behind. About halfway through the course, it occurred to the hare that he had plenty of time to beat the slow trodden tortoise.
“Oh, my!” thought the hare, “I have plenty of time to play in the meadow here.”
And so he did.
After the hare finished playing, he decided that he had time to take a little nap.
“I have plenty of time to beat that tortoise,” he thought. And he cuddled up against a tree and dozed. The tortoise, in the meantime, continued to plod on, albeit, it ever so slowly. He never stopped, but took one good step after another.
The hare finally woke from his nap. “Time to get going,” he thought. And off he went faster than he had ever run before! He dashed as quickly as anyone ever could up to the finish line, where he met the tortoise, who was patiently awaiting his arrival.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race.
Be Encouraged My Friend — Run Your Own Race
So be encouraged, my friend. The puzzle pieces will fall into place. The multi-colored threads will make sense. And by not allowing anyone to discourage you (including yourself) you will win your race.
More quotes to Encourage You and I to Not Give Up
“No one can take my passion (not even a disability) because my passion to express myself through my gifts, talents and abilities resides within me.” Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA
“Cherish your visions and dreams as they are the children of your soul: the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” – Napoleon Hill
“Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, ‘This is the real me,’ and when you have found that attitude, follow it.” William James
“If you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams and endeavor to live the life that you have imagined…you will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau
“Don’t quit. Never give up trying to build the world you can see, even if others can’t see it. Listen to your own drum and your own drum only. It is the one that makes the sweetest sound.” Simon Sinek
“I was told over and over again that I would never be successful. That I was not going to be competitive. And the technique was simply not going to work. All I could do is shrug and say, “We’ll just have to see.” Dick Fosbury (Inventor of the Fosbury Flop and winner of the gold medal in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City).
“You can not connect the dots looking forwards. You can only connect the dots looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, (a loving God – mine), whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you confidence, even when your heart leads you off the well worn path.” Steve Jobs
“Insist on yourself, never imitate. Your own gift you can present with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation, but of the adopted talent of another, you only have an extemporaneous half-possession. Do that which is assigned to you and you cannot hope too much or dare too much.” Henry David Thoreau
“Purpose is about a process and a journey, not a destination. I can not know until I know and knowing just takes what it takes. There are no silver bullets or magic potions. By accepting that reality, I am given the gift of knowing. I am given the gift of knowing by trusting the process, a loving God and myself.” Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA
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