Posted on by Shawn

You Will Want to Give Up. Don’t.

You will want to give up.

When you’re not even that far from home and you’re already stuck in a ditch. When your sense of adventure slams up against the inevitable reality of bills and homesickness and costs you couldn’t have budgeted for.

You will want to give up. Don’t.

When your best work falls short and the words don’t flow right, you’ll think of your bed back at home. You’ll remember the comfort of predictability. The safety of not trying. The ease of a life in which nothing is at stake.

You will want to give up. Don’t.

When you realize that nothing is working out as you expected. When you start to wonder if adventure is just another word for irresponsibility. When you doubt everything that at one time seemed so clear – when you start to feel the need to conform to the expectations of everyone around you.

You will want to give up. Don’t

When your popcorn maker burns out. When you run out of Sour Skittles. When you get lost and one part of your adventure takes twice as long as it should. When you get sick and tired of emptying everyone else’s waste (literally and figuratively).

You will want to give up. Don’t.

When your brakes give out and you’re losing control of your life. When your electricity doesn’t work and you fall asleep in a cold, silent, simmering anger. When you drive all day and don’t find what you’re looking for.

You will want to give up. Don’t.

When previous failures push fear to the surface. When each and every hill makes you wonder if there’s a runaway truck ramp. When the kids won’t stop talking, or you and your spouse can’t stop fighting, or you start to wish there HADN’T been a runaway truck ramp.

You will want to give up. Don’t.

Because if you had given up before, you wouldn’t be where you are. You wouldn’t have what you have. You wouldn’t be who you have become.

So don’t give up now. Your future self will thank you for persevering.

The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
Today and tomorrow are yet to be said.
The chances, the changes are all yours to make.
The mold of your life is in your hands to break.
– JRR Tolkien

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47 Replies to “You Will Want to Give Up. Don’t.”

  1. Such a beautiful and timely post. I needed this today. On the verge of giving up, choosing to write one more word. My husband can relate to the grossness of emptying the grey/black tanks from the camper. Never a fun time, but necessary.

  3. Every writer should heed these words. :) Quitting enters my mind fairly often. But I push it away. Trying is too triumphant an event to set aside! :) Glad you’re still at it, good sir.

    Love the photo, by the way.

    Also, love sour Skittles. Have you tried sour DOTS? They are my candy Kryptonite.

  4. Excellent post. Love your honesty!

    Do what you can, with what you have, where you are… and sometimes that might mean changing your plans, your expectations, your goals… because who you are today is not who you were in the past when you made them.

    1. Scott, I have never looked forward to flat land more than I do right now. The stretching Ohio landscape might be the most welcomed sight on our entire trip.

  10. Thanks for sharing this Shawn. Sometimes it seems that we only have our words to try and paint our reality for others. They can read them and yet we know deep in our own soul some experiences have way to much of an impact on our emotions to be totally understood by our words. We are the only ones who will remember how funny it was, how scared we were, how frustrated, or joyful or heart-broken we actually felt. You do a great job of letting us feel how you felt by painting pictures with your words.

  11. Smucker. You have this ability to make me feel what you’re feeling, and I no likey. I don’t want to be out of sour Skittles and I don’t want to not fing what I’m looking for (Bono be damned). I just say the same to you, my friend. Don’t stsop writing, and don’t give up.

      1. loving your book…building a life out of words….headed to the beach early before worry had its chance and wrote my 1000…first. by the time i looked up from the page…fear did not have a chance and there were “stories” all around me. i could breathe

  13. Good word. Don’t give up on the adventure just because it’s difficult. Difficulty is part of the adventure–any good storyteller knows that. When I’m tempted to sit back and convince myself that a comfortable life is a better life, I remember wise words someone told me a long time ago:

    It’s your life. Live it or live in it.

    Here’s to living our lives.

  14. Oh yeah – word. Just one more. Sigh – sometimes that one is so hard to find.

    But I thank you for this word of encouragement, Shawn. And breathe it right back to you.

  15. Oh, man! This is incredible, and incredibly timely. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to give up. But didn’t–because I just couldn’t. Day in, day out–I dream of that time when the words take me away from the world, from time. For it is then I feel most alive.

    Great post, Shawn! I won’t be giving up.

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  18. Shawn I was forwarded your blog by allison dehart I live in Troy and we attend church together.i have so enjoyed reading your blog you are a wonderful writer. Allison mentioned maybe you amd maile might be able to visit our church while you are home and share some of your experiences. Let me know if you might be interested and when you will be in Troy. Meredith

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  21. i have been over that pass. i have also looked at runaway lanes with the sand and…well, that was some landing. a story you are not soon to forget and will often think about.

  22. I needed to revisit this post this week. Maybe I should just print it out and put it by my desk…. Can you have inspirational posters made, with these words and that nice mountain picture? :)

    I’m glad to know someone who’s so adventurous—in a way that is definitely responsible when it comes to all the things that matter most.

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  25. This morning I subscribed to posts over at Posts With the Most and yours was one of the posts listed. God knew I needed to read this:

    When your best work falls short and the words don’t flow right, you’ll think of your bed back at home. You’ll remember the comfort of predictability. The safety of not trying. The ease of a life in which nothing is at stake.
    You will want to give up. Don’t.
    When you realize that nothing is working out as you expected. When you start to wonder if adventure is just another word for irresponsibility. When you doubt everything that at one time seemed so clear – when you start to feel the need to conform to the expectations of everyone around you.
    You will want to give up. Don’t

    I’m stepping in most of that right now and will have to admit that ‘give up’ has been the whisper that has been ringing in my ear for a while…in spite of a clear call to ministry in 2007. Sometimes those whispers are more like screams until we choose to allow Jesus to silence them.

    Thank you for this wonderfully encouraging and challenging post. Glad I found you.

    1. Thanks for your kind words, Leah. The voice that whispers, “Give up,” is never a valid voice. Maybe “move on” or “try something different,” but never “give up.” Keep going.

  26. Thanks Shawn for just writing this, gave me immense strength to continue trying and not give up till i achieve.

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