My attitudes # 8. Tenacity. Climb Every Mountain

Never give in. Never, never, never, never, never
Winston Churchill

I do not really think I can really add much to what I have found to be one of the most encouraging quotes, one of the most inspirational poems, and one of my favourite songs of all times; that sum up the striving within me to keep onwards and upwards, heading towards my goals and dreams.

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

– Author unknown

30 thoughts on “My attitudes # 8. Tenacity. Climb Every Mountain

    • Aah… you have brightened my day (night actually). No sooner have I finished posting and I see your bright little face pop up with your friendly greeting. It means so much to me, you keeping in touch.
      Thanks for your support. ๐Ÿ™‚

      • Ahhh, dear Elizabeth, and you have brightened my day from half a world away. :-). I know it’s been tough, but you’re handling it all with such strength and grace that I just know you’re going to come out on top in the end…. Sweet dreams…

  1. This was wonderful to play – this song, today. Thank you so much for putting it out there. I know of this song, just as you know of so much on the peripheral, but taking a pause to read the words and hear it through – thank you very much : excellent ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. I first saw that poem when I was around nine or ten years old, and it remains a favorite of mine. It made me smile when I saw that you had posted it, as it brings back good memories and reminds me that we are all similar journeys in our quest to embrace our inner strength and our “new normal”. Also, there’s nothing like the incomparable Shirley Bassey to motivate and inspire you!

    • Thanks for that. yes, it is interesting what things mean to different people. It is one of my old favorites poems as well. I used to use it for exams. A bit different reason now, but it is amazing the same tenacity is applied to different phases of life.
      Keep on keeping on…

  3. I love this post. From a personal standpoint, I have been blessed with an attitude of perseverance, and it has helped me through some difficult challenges.

    Another great song is Don’t Stop Believing, by Journey.

    Cheers!

  4. And there also is our labeling events as good or bad that can work against us. I try to remember the Zen story The Farmer’s Horse:

    Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. โ€œSuch bad luck,โ€ they consoled.

    โ€œMaybe,โ€ the farmer replied.

    The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three wild horses. โ€œHow wonderful!โ€ the neighbors exclaimed.

    โ€œMaybe,โ€ replied the old man.

    The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

    โ€œMaybe,โ€ answered the farmer.

    The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the sonโ€™s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

    โ€œMaybe,โ€ said the farmer.

    • Ha ha. I like it. I like it.
      And i am never sure in the song whether the ‘mountain’ is (a) the mountain that you know you have to climb to reach your dream at the top, (b) an obstacle that gets in the way and you therefore must climb it before you can continue your journey to your dream or (c) a mountain that distracts you along the way and then you discover the rainbow at the top and so you go that way instead and you realise what you thought was a hindrance wasn’t.

  5. Loved the verse.

    Yes, it does remain our choice to see possibilities in every road block we hit in our life’s journey. As we choose to abide by our inner compass of commitment. As we jettison all aspects of finding reasons why something could not be done.

    Shakti

    • Thanks ever so much for stopping by my blog and for your encouraging comment. It means a lot to me that my words have been read and appreciated. Your comment resonates with me and helps propel me forward. thank you.

  6. Love the quote. As for the poem…..I “collected” poems when I was a child. “Don’t Quit” was one I read often as I kept it tucked inside my Bible. It has been many years since I’d even thought about these verses….thanks for the encouragement and the reminder! And yes…..I blog to “me” as well! โ™ฅ paula

  7. I discovered your blog site on google and check a few of your early posts. Continue to keep up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Seeking forward to reading more from you later on!…

  8. Pingback: Personality + Character + Circumstance + Attitude = ME | Almost Spring

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