Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Are You a Quitter or an Achiever?

I was afraid to look at the time on my clock when I got out of bed today. I was right to feel slightly ashamed when it read 12:26 PM. I can't remember the last time I slept in that long. But after almost dosing off even after consuming a V, Rock Star and Red Bull at work yesterday, it was very clear my body, and my brain needed some good rest. I love my work. I love Uni. And part of me even loves staying up all night to work on my projects. But the rest of this year I am looking at a giant boulder of work, with it's deadlines rapidly rolling downhill toward me. I am lucky to get five hours of sleep at night because there is honestly just so much to do.

So what pushes me on? Why do I put so much time and effort into my work, when I know what the odds are of getting through it all? Why do I sacrifice the time I could be spending with Scarlett, friends or family? It would be so easy to throw in the towel. Well I am who I am, and I believe in never giving up, in being persistent in doing what you're doing to the very end no matter how bleak the situation. Because if you give up once when things get tough, you will give up the next time things get tough. You see giving up means you're accepting defeat in what you're doing. And it's not even really about anyone else, because in accepting defeat you let yourself down. I believe in pushing yourself beyond your limits. The more you sacrifice, the more pain you go through, the more time and effort and passion you put into something, you will be repaid equally in achieving something great and amazing. The saying 'You get out what you put in' just seems so obviously true to me, I see it in everyday life all the time.

I'll use myself as an example. Lets say I sit down with a great idea in my head that I want to communicate through a drawing. Maybe it's an awesome new idea for a character. So I draw for five minutes, maybe ten, and this picture just isn't working out for me. Oh and look, I tipped some coffee all over it. Now, I could give up and go and play the new computer game I just bought today. Or I could get another piece of paper and redraw my character all over again. It would be easy to give up and go and play computer games instead, it doesn't require any effort, and going by what I said earlier about getting out what you put in, I will achieve absolutely nothing. So I decide to put in the effort and start the drawing over again. Four or five hours later I have a magnificent new character to behold. I have achieved my goal, I have something to show which measures up equally to the amount of effort I put into it. I am proud of myself, and as I show my new character to others they are proud of me too. You see that sense of achievement is what is important, it does so much for a person, while the sense of defeat through quitting can be very detrimental to how a person acts in the future.

I understand that I have been given this life and I am going to make the most of it. I can't waste my time here on Earth just to quit every time I think I can't reach my goals. Instead I will try and try and eventually I will reach my goals, I will reach my dreams, and hopefully look back on my life as an old man with no regrets about the things I could have done. As for the quitters they will never even come close to achieving there dreams, if they even have any at all. And maybe they are content with that, but only because it's easy and that is a shame. Ask yourself, are you a quitter or an achiever?

Anyway, my point is never give up. Now onto some art work! Since I made two mixed CD's for Scarlett's birthday gift, I decided to make another album cover at the last minute.


Basically the meaning I am trying to convey in this illustration is to - open up your mind. Believe in the unseen, take chances on the things which seem uncertain. Don't follow the rest of the crowd because of some unspoken assumption they know how to live life better then you. Open up your mind up to new ideas, open it up to who you really are. From the moment we are born we are told no, you can't do this, or you can't do that. We become programmed in such a way that prevents us from reaching our full potential, that prevents us from looking at our dreams and saying yes, I can achieve that.

Well I think it's about time for a coffee. So until next time, take care everyone.

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