Don’t Give Up
Champions keep going when they don’t have anything left in their tank
–ET
From a young age, I always thought I was meant for something special. I didn’t know what that was, or how to get to it and find it. Going with whatever was in front of me for that day. I was lost and felt like I was walking in circles with no direction and no clue what I was going to do with myself or what God had in store for me. Some days I felt like the monkey playing the symbols and not going anywhere. I can’t be a champion, what can I do?
Freaked Out
I had no idea what I was doing with myself. I kept rolling with whatever was coming my way. No matter what was going on if it was whatever sport I was in or job I was at. I would try and look at the plus side of everything, unfortunately, that’s easy said than done. After a while, I could only lie to myself so much. I started to realize how much I’m full of it. It’s one thing to lie to others and tell them how I’m feeling or if I’m faking it and putting on a mask trying to be happy. But I can’t lie to myself, I know who I really am.
Once school was over and I graduated and ready to step into the real world, all I could think was how terrified I was. With no direction and no idea what I was going to do with myself and that stupid piece of paper saying I graduated. What am I supposed to do now?
Hard Work
Yes, I graduated from school. But looking back, I had a lot of help from my parents and teachers to help push me or drag me over the finish line of graduating school. If I didn’t have their help who knows how many times I would have failed.
I have played sports all my life and have a decent collection of trophies I have gathered over the years. But what does that mean, and how does that benefit me now? Well for starters it showed me how to commit to something bigger than Peter. It showed me how to work with others to get the job done and win and collect the prize at the end of the season. Become a champion was always the goal at the end of the season.
Champions
I was a part of two championship teams in high school. I won the league in my junior year in soccer. My senior year we won the league in baseball. That was a great feeling because it was the last big thing I accomplished before graduation. Honestly, I think I was more excited about winning the league in baseball then I was for graduating.
I know my ultimate goal was to graduate from school. But the only problem with that is I didn’t know what to do with myself next in my life. My ultimate goal is finally here and I just freaked out and panicked and didn’t want to leave school. I didn’t know what I could do, and what I can go after and tackle next. I was scared and I wanted to turn around and go back to what was familiar to me. School for me was a battle every day. That battle I was facing was less scary to me than the unknown after I graduated with no direction.
Never Back Down
How can I win in life? I have lost more in life then I have won. Even though I won two league titles in my high school career. I also lost in the championship game my junior year in basketball and baseball. I failed multiple times trying to sell my books to agents to represent me. Failures and rejections definitely outweigh the wins in my life.
I’m, not a champion, how can I be a winner and a champion if I have lost more than I have won? I didn’t understand this at the time. It’s not about the medals I have earned in school being the best team that year. It was the fact that the team I was a part of didn’t give up and we didn’t back down from whoever the opponent was in front of us in the championship game.
New Approach
Even with receiving over 105 rejections about my books over the years. Yes, for a short time that did scare me and made me wonder if I can even write or if there is even room for me to enter this field. I decided to change the outcome and not give up. A new path was formed and I went in a different direction. I created PeterHarrower.com to start blogging, and I needed a place to keep writing.
A new approach to publish my books was born. I didn’t let 105 people who didn’t care for what I had created stop me. I would have taken 1,000 rejections if it meant my story or books could reach 10 times that. What matters is when I was down thinking I failed and I wouldn’t be good enough I didn’t stop.
Mindset
I might not have won yet or published any of my books yet. It doesn’t mean I’m not going to. Maybe I won’t reach thousands or millions of people in my lifetime. That’s not what this is about. It’s to show you to never quit and never settle when you feel like you can’t win. Stay away from the negative attitude.
Maybe you won’t win right now. Keep working and wait to see where you will be a year from now or five years from now. Keep working and who knows, you might be at a level that you never pictured for yourself and envisioned. That’s why it’s important to never stop and to always keep working. That’s what separates champions and losers in life.