It is late on a Sunday evening, and I am having the worst day.
Part of it is being tired, maybe a wee bit hangry, and just overwhelmed with life.
But mostly, it was because my morning started with a planned long run, and I had to cut it short due to the excessive heat and running out of fluid. The embarrassing phone call I have to make for my family to pick me up from the side of a road is something that they appreciate, knowing I am safe.
Over the last few years, I have learned that it is essential to always follow through on commitments, unless doing so would harm your long-term interests.
Here are a few examples of when you persevere and when you give up.
You keep going when you commit to exercise, but you feel pain. You quit when you are injured (or could be), and long-term damage is inevitable.
You keep going when a job you’re passionate about gets tough. You quit when a job that you committed to is going to do long-term damage to your mental health, your relationships, and seemingly has no care for you as a human being.
You keep going with a friendship that has served you for a long time, and you are going through a rough patch. You quit a friendship when you realize that person would rather see you fail than succeed.
Of course, the above is simplistic, with no regard for history or goals, but in short, something being hard is not a reason to quit. But sticking with the impossible and causing long-term damage is the fine line you can cross between resiliency and stupidity.
Sticking with my run today in the hot Florida sun with no access to fluids would have crossed that line.
But even when you know you did the right thing by quitting something that will either no longer serve you, or possibly hurt you, there is still that feeling of guilt.
What if I kept going?
What if I went one more day?
What if I tried an alternative path?
Some or all of those things could pop into your mind. And even when you knew you did the right thing, the pain of feeling like you quit for the wrong reasons can still sit there.
So, as I am moping around my house, which is better than being laid up in bed from being injured or severely dehydrated, and then I receive this unexpected message through a direct message on Instagram:
George, I am at a conference and we were told to text a person who helped get us to this point in our career.
You likely may not remember me, but years ago when I was a principal at ****** you said, “****, you’ve got something really special as a leader and you need to share it on a greater scale.” I’ve never forgotten it and it motivates me often.
Thank you.
Strangely enough, I did remember that interaction. And when it was brought to my attention, I could vividly picture it.
What I didn’t know was the extent of the impact. That principal is now a superintendent, and after looking her up, I have found that she has inspired many with her work.
But I had no idea that my words were even a blip in her trajectory.
The irony of the story is that my words that day inspired her to keep going, but her words back to me years later helped me understand that it was okay to quit today, so that I could try again tomorrow.
As I have shared many times, a single interaction with a colleague or student can change their trajectory forever. It might inspire them to keep going in the moment, find another path, or quit something they know no longer serves them today, to pursue something better tomorrow. Either way, if you think it and it could make someone’s day better, make it better.
A kind word planted today can help someone take the next step, or the right step back, and that can blossom into something remarkable in the future.
