Going On

What makes people go on?

I look at change-makers, craftsmen, entrepreneurs, successful people from myriad walks of life and see a common characteristic. Of not giving up. Of going on despite the odds, fighting to the end even when failure is imminent and of not letting go even when there is nothing to hang on. Some do it because there is no other option, some do it because it is what they are.

And then there are the ones who give up rather than fight back. The ones who want to fly and make a few attempts too, but then they fail. They consider their options. What if they fail again? They analyze. What is the possibility that their dream would work out? They listen to their fears. Is it worth the risk? They step back and walk the path more traveled by, and they make peace with their choice. Well, they did try, but then there are the thousand and one reasons why we have to wake up and let go of our dreams.

I am more of the second type, although I wish I could be more of the first.

That’s one of the main reasons, why I keep swinging between taking up writing and dreaming about it. That’s one of the reasons why I started with this blog a decade ago and why I find it so difficult to post regularly. I give up when there are more important things to do (which there always are). I give up when I am too tired or stressed or have nothing to write about, which is often the case. I give up when I see nobody reads my posts anymore, which too is quite often. And I let go.

This time it was more of a promise that happened over a Facebook conversation with Swaram that is making me post every day. The irony is that I am struggling with Going On, while she writes about Letting Go.