“Don’t Give Up"

June 20, 2011

Today’s Bit of Advice…

“Don’t Give Up”

I’ll admit it – I’ve been too busy this spring.  Busy to the point of exhaustion, mental fatigue, housework dysfunction and the like.  In agreeing to work on a few projects, I found that they carried additional responsibilities.  I found that others who were to play a role in completing the projects didn’t carry their share.  I found that I was constantly dealing with the fallout related to people who weren’t doing what they should.  And I was still supposed to be a good wife and mother.  Boy, do I need to learn to drink coffee!

There have been a few days in the past several weeks when I just wanted to throw in the towel and give up.  It seemed that I would never be able to get everything done, or done the way I should, or done the way others thought I should.

But I didn’t give up.   And I’m glad I didn’t.

The laundry and dishes have built up and I see dust all over but I use the mantra “Just do it for 15 minutes” and there is always a big improvement.  Certain tasks seem like they will take much longer but 15 minutes is enough to make a big dent.  Don’t give up.

Some of my projects seem overwhelming in size.  As a procrastinating perfectionist, it is easy for me to avoid starting a project that appears to be too stressful.  But I try to jump in where I can, get a start, and let the rest happen.  Don’t give up.

Friday was my daughter’s kindergarten graduation.  Earlier in the year, the teacher asked if a parent would make a slideshow/PowerPoint to play at the graduation.  Nobody stepped up which means I stepped up.  Even though I had never made a PowerPoint, I figured it would be good practice.  How hard could it be to make a 10 minute slideshow?  Well, it ended up taking hours of work to create.  I thought 10 minutes – they wanted 30 minutes.  I couldn’t get music to work in PowerPoint so I switched it to MovieMaker and had to learn to use that software.  I tried to burn copies for parents and it was too big.  Finally got it onto DVD’s for them but the DVD wouldn’t play in a DVD player or on the computer at school. Ugh.  The graduation was looming and I still hadn’t figured out how to play the slideshow.  Finally, the morning of the graduation arrived and I went to school very early to make sure my computer and slideshow would work and it did.  I’m glad I didn’t give up.

Except, when the time for the slideshow actually arrived, it didn’t work. Ten minutes before the show is to begin and I’ve got nothing.  I went into fight mode and tried every trick in my repertoire.   Changed cords, prayed, changed computers, prayed, tried thumb drives, tried the DVD again, prayed, enlisted the help of a friend from the audience, prayed.  Nothing.  Talk about wanting to give up.  But I didn’t.  We brought in another projector and a tiny screen.  The parents could see the pictures.  A little.  They could hear the music.  Barely.  But we didn’t give up.

Finally we found a teacher who knew what the problem was.  While we went to another room for the awarding of the diplomas, she was able to get the slideshow running properly and we all went back to the theater at the end to see the show.  And it was wonderful.  Don’t give up.

But this bit of advice really held true for me last Wednesday.  I have been dealing with a particularly vexing problem for about eight months.  I’ve tried everything in my power to fix the problem and make things better.  There has been this brick wall in the way of making change happen.  At times, I have felt that there was such a slim chance of fixing the problem that it might be easier to learn to live with it.  But I’ve prayed on it over and over.  I’ve asked God for a specific resolution – one that I didn’t think anyone would else would think of.  And, on Wednesday, I got the news that my resolution to the problem was going to happen.  The resolution I didn’t tell anyone but God about.  Wow!  I am so glad that I didn’t give up.

No matter what the problem is or how thick the brick wall, don’t give up.   You can do it – maybe not the way you think you should or the way others thing you should, but you can do it.

Hope you enjoyed the read.