Life
comes with a lot of ups and downs. Probably one of the most important
life skills to have is determination and the ability to overcome
frustration. This is not one of my strong suits. I generally struggle
with something, decide I don't like it, then give up and try something
else. This is great in terms of my ability to try new things. This is
not great in terms of me having to come to terms with being a
"quitter." That's not the way I envision myself as a kick butt tough
girl. (OK, I am not a kick butt tough girl either, but you have to have
goals, right?) How do you know when its OK to just
give up, and when you have to keep fighting? Listen to your heart - it
always will lead you to what is important.
My 6 year old son Ben is a lot
like me. He's very smart, very sensitive, and does not like criticism
or frustration. I would like to be able to teach him not to get
discouraged, and to keep trying something until he gets it. But how can
I teach him a skill that I am not so great at either?
As
a person with a chronic illness, it is all too easy to give up to
discouragement. I have a built in excuse. And when I get depressed,
all I want to do is sleep anyway. I am lucky if I can do the simple
normal stuff in life, let alone attack tasks that are tricky and take
practice. I mean lets get real.
Probably the
ultimate answer here is that you have to pick your battles. If it is
something really important to you, keep going through the frustration
and through the discouragement. When the frustration threatens to get
too much, take a break. After your break, try it another way. Take
your time and don't be afraid to ask for help. Other times, I think its
OK to let go. If you try something and its not for you, try something
else. You do not have to succeed at everything you do. Most successful
entrepreneurs have had at least one failed business before they make it
big with a success. They keep trying something different until they
get it right. But that doesn't mean they don't have a lot of failures
along the way.