No-Win Scenario

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

-Winston Churchill

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am captivated by heroism. Sure believing in heroes is a very romantic notion to have living in such a cynical society but something inside of me still screams out for a chance to be a beacon of hope. 

You see, that's what a hero does. They become this light that shines brighter than anything. It's all that anyone can see. It's all anyone can think about.

There is a fatal flaw that resounds in humanity. We give up on things far too easily. I think it's because somewhere along the way we decided that if something doesn't come easy it's not worth having. 

I watched the new Star Trek movie twice last week (once on blu-ray I might add and it's just stunning). There is something about that movie that inspires me. Maybe it's the character of Jim Kirk that attracts my attention. 

James T. Kirk doesn't believe in what is called a "no-win scenario". Everyone around him is preaching that you must know what it is like to fail, but he can't accept failure. He won't accept failure.

That's not to say that he's never failed, because no one is infallible. There is always a way for things to turn around no matter the situation. 

People seem to think that if you fail at something once, you ought to give up on it. When did it become so easy for us to do this?

It sounds to me like we have become complacent with mediocrity. Settling for being "just okay" rather than being the absolute best.

"Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." 

-Thomas Edison

This leads me to my point. 

Don't give up.

Most of the time, the thing that has been driving you to your goal, will push you over the edge before you can truly take flight.

At the end of the day, it's about passion. It's about motivation. It's about tenacity. 

Chase after (insert goal here) with every ounce of your being.

When people ask you why you are killing yourself over something that seems so minuscule and worthless, don't be discouraged. There are always going to be those who don't understand what it is that you have to do.

Even those who should be the most understanding of your situation probably won't get it. When you set your mind to a fight, failure can't be an option. Quitting should be pushed farthest from your heart, even though it's going to look like the most attractive thing at times.

You can't let your desire to be done with something overwhelm what's right. Even in the end, when things don't work out for your favor, just remind yourself that sometimes pursuing something is more about the pursuit than it is the object you are pursuing.

I don't believe in no-win-scenarios. When people ask me why I won't give up, I want to be able to look at them and respond, "I don't know how."

Winston Churchill summed it up better than I ever could. 

"Never, never, never give up."