“Simply said, those who quit are those who don’t win”
by Stephanie Santos
I watched her toil with her gadget, a wooden stick thing with hooks made of metal that helps her undo the velcro straps on her shoes. Being the oldest of 27 cousins and of 4 brothers I jumped in to help, well also the reason I was even there was to help. But she looked up at me and with the sweetest German/French accent in the most confident intonation she said “No thank you, let me do it. If I don’t ever try ’til I get it, I won’t gain any of my independence back.” I slowly took a step back nodded my head and said “I respect your philosophy ma’am, go ahead.” So in order not to let mild agony set in as she kept on struggling to finish what she started my mind drift off to one of my mom’s many wise statements she’s made in one of our many conversations: “simply said Stephanie, those who quit are those who don’t win.”
BAM.
A simple mind [in life's matters] may read that and think that’s an idiotic statement, but for those who’ve been fully present as they went through some ”thangs” they know that one you’re in the middle of it (it may be whatever) takes a lot not to quit. It takes a lot not to embrace what’s been and settle for it, manage it, just- deal with it.
My patient’s attitude opened my mind to belive a person wins not necessarily when she crosses the finish line, obtains the thing/the one wanted, and not even after she sees the manifestation of a healing believed for or “fill in the blank”. No. I think a person wins the moment she makes up her mind not to quit.
Alright?
Alright. Does that mean no instants of discouragement, fear, doubt? NO, that’d be unrealistic, unhuman. RESILIENCE!
Resilience yes, stemming from a conviction of self-worth, great enough to being able to have, become, see, experience, etc what one so desires. Listen this is no ‘Tinker Bell’ happy thinking, to me is real. But it takes Batman’s badass attitude when it gets tough and you want to quit.
Maybe victory is conquering self-hatred and landing in self-love, buying a property, forgiving a wrongdoer, paying a debt in full, renewing your mind, taking a risk in love, or maybe victory just looks like undoing your shoes by yourself. Whatever it is, don’t quit.
Wilma Rudolph popped in my head but my attention was quickly brought back to my patient by the sound of velcro when it’s pulled up.
She smiled big and so did I.
