It's the time of year that some people tend to want to give up on their journey. Most people either are upset that they have not hit specific goals, or maybe they procrastinate too long, or they just never decided to step out of their comfort zone. We tend to give up at times before we even start and other times we give up just before that significant break-through that helps us rise to the top.
It was 1997, 16 years old and a junior in high school. I was trying out for Varsity football, and our first practice we came out as a team, and I remember thinking that the starting job on the offensive line at Left Tackle was mine. Oh, by the way, my brother Jonathan Ogden was the number 1 tackle taken in that NFL draft, so the pressure I put on myself to be the starter on my team was immense. The first practice, being informed that I would not be starting on the offensive line, I was devastated. I was so mad, I marched home and told my dad “dad, I’m going to show that jerk coach of mine, I’m going to quit the football team!” My dad told me, Marques, if you quit the football team, you are going to feel good tomorrow, but 5, 10, or 20 years from now you will hate yourself for stopping before you gave yourself a chance to succeed!
I woke up the next morning “pissed at my dad” lol and went back to practice. Come to find out my coach was always going to start me on the defensive line, I was so mad and upset I wasn’t starting on offense, that I almost gave up on my football career before it got started because I was too short-sighted to look at the big picture. Of course, my coach wasn’t going to let me back on to the team without working my butt off to get back in his good graces. So I was demoted to the second team, and after two weeks of showing him how bad I wanted it, I got my starting job back, and never looked back!
So that was an example of how I almost gave up on something I loved doing, due to the fact I was too short-sighted to see the big picture.
Here are reasons to never give up:
1- Anything Is Possible
* Willing to do what it takes.
2- Be Patient
* All great things take time.
3- Keep the faith/belief
* Let the failures be stepping stones.
4. Be Inspiring to others.
* Never know whom you will impact.
5. Have a strong "Why."
* That feeling like no matter what you can't give up.
6- Others have it worse.
* Someone is always willing to trade places with you because he or she has it worse off.
7- You were meant to impact the world.
* Help others see greatness in them.
8- You are so close.
* Trust the process, today could be your breakthrough.
9- If someone else can do it so can you.
* The expert always starts as a beginner at some point.
Never give up & keep striving for GREATNESS!
Marques Ogden, Keynote Speaker
