Fighting Talk: When in hell...

“If you’re going through hell, keep going” 

Winston Churchill

It’s a great clique to turn to Churchill for inspiration, especially when you’re going through some battles. The man certainly knew how to spin a phrase and spur a crowd. Include this to his World War Two credentials and you're always going to be on to a winner. I've almost been avoiding using him in this feature on the very basis that it’s too much of an easy option. Finally, however, I relented.

You may not like Churchill, and his politics. Frankly I’m not much of a fan. I'll spare you the history lesson. But no one can deny that he knew how to push on, for better or worse, when everything, and everyone, stood against him.

This quote encourages me to push on through struggle, so that I can get to the other side. I’m reminded that if you’re going through hell, and you stop, then hell is exactly where you’ll stay. If you ever want to get somewhere better, you have to keep going.

Everybody goes through tough times. Whether that's in your past, present or future. Don't give in to it, because you can beat it. Great people are remembered for what struggles they overcome, not for giving up. 

M.I.A - Missing in Action

It’s been a whole two weeks since I last posted, but don’t worry; I haven’t run out of steam yet.

Whilst I haven’t been publishing any blog posts, behind the scenes, the momentum has been building. I’ve been reaching out in various directions and pulling together ideas, as a result, there is a backlog of stuff waiting to come your way. The gold seams are rich, just waiting to be mined.  

So, what have I been up to, I hear you ask.

A big part of why I haven’t been writing is that I’ve been trying to catch up with all those chores I ignore, and pray will disappear. It turns out that they don’t just vanish, more to the pity. In general I’ve been trying to get my house in order whilst also getting myself back into my degree work and looking for paid work over the summer. 

On top of this, my wife has been going through a period of increased sickness. This effects the time I have to write, but more so, it takes a toll on my energy levels. A few times I’ve found myself staring at a blank screen, but not having the energy or focus to produce anything worth reading.  

I’m still recovering after a long bout of sickness and exhaustion. Realistically, until I’m back on my feet, and back to full health, there are going to be times when I can’t do all the things I want. Everybody needs time to build themselves back up. It’s not ideal but, begrudgingly, we’re only human. Superman only exists in the movies and comic books.

Over the next week expect services to be resumed as normal. This means that Fighting Talk will be back tomorrow. Also, look out for that exciting news I mentioned in my last post. I’m confident that I’ll be able to announce it early next week. Believe me, you don’t want to miss it.

Ask and you will recieve

It’s been one heck of an exciting week for me. I have so much to update you all on, but I’m not going to just yet. I'm keeping some news under my hat for the time being. I assure you that I’m not doing it to be cruel. I’m doing it because the news is so unbelievable that, until all the I’s are dotted and the T’s crossed, I’m terrified that something will go wrong. Frankly, I’m not wholly convinced that I haven’t imagined the whole situation.

What I can talk about, however, is how much this week has taught me about chasing what you want. Rarely does something good come to you unless you seek it first. Ask and you will receive.

Twice in the last week I’ve asked for something when no opportunity existed. I’ve put myself forward, and I’ve ended up in a position where I can be part of something exciting. Instead of waiting for opportunity to come my way, I stepped out and went looking for it.

Jesse Owens chasing his place in history

Like me, I imagine that most of you know this to be true, but still find yourselves waiting. I knew that I had to pursue what I wanted before this week. I wonder, however, if I really believed it. I think I can safely say that for most of this year, I’ve been waiting for something to happen. I didn’t know what it was and, until recently, I certainly didn’t go looking for it. For example, I’ve wanted to start writing for a long time, but until I started this blog, I wasn’t doing anything about it. A career in writing was never going to fall into my lap.

Step out of the door

In the same way, I’m never going to impact people’s lives from my lounge. I have to keep stepping out of my front door.

I whole heartedly believe that everybody has the potential to pursue what they want. Nobody has to be left behind. Whatever you want, whether it’s a family, a business, a hobby, or anything in between, you have to potential to reach it, if only you step out the door. Obviously, sometimes it might not work out. But you can be sure that unless you ask, pursue and fight for what you want, you’ll never get near it.

I’d love to hear about what you’re pursuing. What steps are you taking to reach your ambitions? What opportunities have you been given when you’ve gone out and asked for them?