I read an article the other day which was written by a man
named Jeff Keller. After I finished the article, I realized that the
title, "There’s A Lot More Left In The Tube", is one of those
motivational quotations that you would like to hang up in every room to
remind you that you should never give up too soon.
We have all experienced frustration and despair at various times in our
lives when we felt we had done everything we possibly could to achieve a
particular goal. It may be something as simple as trying to grow flowers
in your garden, or as serious as how to cultivate a better relationship
with your child or spouse, or something to do with your job. Whatever the
case, there comes a point when you simply feel you can’t go on any
further.
THE SECRET TO SUCCESS
And yet, the secret to a success, and the motivation you are seeking,
may very well be as close as your tube of toothpaste.
Every time I come to the end of a tube of toothpaste, I
am completely amazed that just when I think the tube is absolutely empty,
I can squeeze many more brushings out of it. I’m sure you have all gone
through the same thing. I look at the seemingly empty tube in my hand,
then I look at the new tube in the box, and I have to decide whether to
throw away the old and open the new, or try to squeeze a few more out of
the old. Without fail, just when I think the tube is absolutely empty, I
get to squeeze another 12 or 15 more brushings out of it. So, next time
you find yourself in a situation where you feel you just can’t go on any
further, remember the "tube". It’s usually when things haven’t
been working out and you feel like quitting, that you experience a major
breakthrough. We can all recall times when success came when we were on
our last chance or when we were doing something for the final time. It is
when you dig deep down for that one last burst of energy that you find
your goal.
Unfortunately, too many people quit too early - just
before they could get around that final corner to success. All they needed
to do is squeeze one more drop from the tube.
Space does not permit me to write the hundreds of examples of successful
people who kept on going in the face of adversity and disappointment. Even
the writers of "Chicken Soup For The Soul" were rejected by 33
publishers before they found one who would print their book. What if they
would have quit too soon? Many of the world’s leaders are examples of
people who reached their goal just after their greatest setback.
If you have a goal; if you truly believe in yourself;
and if you have the passion, enthusiasm and commitment to go for your
dream; then keep squeezing that "inner tube of toothpaste" one
more time. It is only when you run out of the "passion" that you
will know that your "tube is empty". Just make sure that you don’t
quit too soon. Success may be just around the corner.
Have a good day!