Striving to get to the top can be a long and hard road. There will be roadblocks, pebbles, potholes, construction, and maybe a few dead-ends that you encounter on your way to success. As you go up that long and steep hill, there may be times where your feet get weary, and your knees begin to wobble due to exhaustion from playing hop-scotch with all the hurdles that you’re jumping over and around. As you continue to go up that road, sweating, out of breath, looking for a ice cold glass of water, instinct tells you to look back and see who’s behind you just in case you fall. When you look and see that there’s no one back there, what do you do? Do you fall anyway (give-up)? Do you keep going? Or better yet, do you not look at all and continue looking forward?
I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali
Falling shouldn’t be an option. Just in case you do fall, try and fall in place. Stay right where you’re at. Maybe you need a water break. Maybe you need to catch your breath. But whatever you do, do not let gravity take control and pull you all the way down.
Looking back is an option. It may be good to keep your eye on where you came from and say that you will never go back to that place again. Looking back can be inspirational for some, while others view looking back and studying the past as a distraction. If you happen to look back, don’t stare. Make it a glance so that you can be reminded as to how far you’ve come.
The road to success can be a lonely journey, but from what I’ve heard from those who have made it, the journey was certainly worthwhile. When you feel that your lungs are about to collapse and your knees are about to give out, keep going. Push yourself.