There are few people in history who modeled courage in the face of crisis like Harriet Tubman.
While slaves fled for their freedom on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman told them, “If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.” Tubman knew that no matter what was behind them, their only chance at freedom was to keep moving forward. She knew that surrender meant death or a lifeless existence, but that moving forward meant a chance at life.
When there is a crisis, the best leaders challenge people to be persistent despite their present circumstances.
What has 2024 been like for you so far? None of us can change a single thing that has happened. We can’t go back. We can’t start the year over. But we can learn from what has happened, make adjustments, and commit to giving the rest of the year all we’ve got.
We all need to be reminded that:
We can’t control the economy.
We can’t control the culture wars in our country.
We can’t control the wars waging overseas.
We can’t control the rejection from a potential promising client.
We can’t control the cancer taking the life of a loved one.
But we can control how we approach the rest of the year. We can make the right choice. We can choose: to Give Up or to Keep Going.
Option 1: Give Up. There are many frustrated and tired people who have decided to throw in the towel and write off this year. Just chalk it up to a lost year. And they have already mentally given up. I get it. When we experience, crisis, loss, or hardship, we want to swallow the pill and move on. We don’t want to wade through the mess to see what good might be on the other side. But we must.
Giving up is the wrong choice.
Option 2: Keep Going. How should we face the mounting obstacles of this year? We should Keep Going. In Philippians 3:14, Paul states: “I press on toward the goal…” Like Paul, we can keep going because we have a purpose to pursue.
As a company, ADDO has clients and customers who depend on us. And we have a mission to inspire people today to impact tomorrow. What about you? What is your purpose—both professionally and personally?
While you may feel like you want to give up, remember your purpose and Keep Going. Keep moving forward because the world needs what you have to offer.
