1. As long as you are alive, anything is possible.
The only valid excuse you have to give up is if you are dead. As long as you are alive (and healthy and free) you have the choice to keep trying until you finally succeed.
2. Be realistic.
The chance of mastering something the first time you do it is almost non-existent. Everything takes time to learn and you will make mistakes. Learn from them.
3. Michael Jordan
Arguably the best basketball player of all time. He attributes his success to all his failures. He just never gave up even when he knew he had missed over 300 shots and had missed the winning shot of the game many times. Every time he got knocked down he got back up again.
4. Lance Armstrong
Lance was diagnosed with serious cancer that had spread throughout his entire body. He had cancer cells the size of golf balls in his lungs. Despite all odds he overcame the cancer and set out to win the Tour de France 6 consecutive years in a row.
5. Muhammad Ali
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Muhammad Ali is one of the best boxers the world has ever known. He suffered only 5 losses while having 56 wins and was the first boxer to win the lineal heavyweight championship three times. This is a guy who literally knows how to get knocked down and get back up.
6. The man who created the marathon.
Very long ago, an Athenian herald was sent to Sparta to get help when the Persians landed in Greece. It was said that he ran 240km in 2 days and after that he ran 40km to announce the victory of the Greeks only to collapse and die on the spot from exhaustion. If you ever feel like things are difficult, imagine what it would be like to run 240km in 2 days. (Don’t try that because you might die from it, but use it as an inspiration.)
7. Chris Gardner - The Pursuit of Happiness
Have you seen the movie The Pursuit of Happyness? It is based on the life story of Chris Gardener, a man who went for the lowest of the lows in an environment where most people would give up (no money, no job) to the highest of the highs (a millionaire with his own investment firm). If you ever think about giving up, watch this movie!
8. Kanye West
I’m pretty sure you have heard of the rapper Kanye West. Read his story. He is a big inspiration and proves that you can go from having very little to being among the most famous and respected people in the world.
9. Nelson Mandela
Campaigned for justice and freedom in his South Africa. Spent 20 years in jail for his opposition to apartheid. On release, he healed the wounds of apartheid by his magnanimous attitude toward his former political enemies.
10. You are strong.
You are stronger than you think. One little setback is not enough to stop you from achieving your goals. Neither are 10 or 100 or 1000 setbacks.
11. Prove yourself.
You don’t want to be known as someone that is weak and gives up. Go out there and prove yourself to the world and to yourself. You CAN and WILL achieve what you set out to do. The only time you fail is when you give up.
12. Has it been done before?
If someone else can do it then so can you. Even if it is only one other person in the world that has achieved what you have set out to achieve, that should be reason enough for you to never give up.
13. Believe in your dreams.
Don’t sell yourself short. In life there are going to be many people who will try to bring you down and tell you what you want to achieve is not possible.
14. Your family and friends.
Let the people you love and who mean the world to you be your inspiration to persist and persevere. Maybe you need to try a different angle, study more or practice more but don’t give up!
15. Because I tell you to.
Not that I am any sort of guru or Godly figure, but if you want to give up then don’t. Just because I’m telling you not to.
16. There are people worse-off.
Right now there are many people who are in a worse situation and environment than you are. Are you thinking about giving up running 5 miles a week? Think about the people who are unable to even walk and how much they would give to be able to run 5 miles every day.
17. Improve our world.
When you achieve whatever you set out to achieve you can use your success to make a difference to the world or other peoples lives.
18. Get rich or die trying.
Like 50 Cent says, “Get rich or die trying.” 50 Cent is rich — he made it (although he did get shot 9 times). Face your fears and don’t take the easy way out by giving up.
19. Let the haters hate.
There will always be haters. There will always be plenty of people who try to tear you down. Don’t pay attention to them and don’t take what they say to heart. Let the haters hate and keep believing in yourself.
20. You deserve to be happy. Don’t ever let anybody tell you otherwise. You deserve to be happy and you deserve to have success. Keep that mindset and never give up until you reach your destination!
21. Inspire others.
Be an inspiration to others by refusing to give up. Who knows what someone else can achieve because you never gave up and in turn inspired them not to give up.
22. You are so close.
Often when you feel like you want to give up you are so close to making a huge breakthrough. You are just a heartbeat away from success.
