Kings Win Stanley Cup: To Win You Must Never Ever Give Up
In the longest game they have ever played, into double overtimes, the Los Angeles Kings won the game and the Stanley Cup, with less than 12 minutes left in the second overtime period.
Once again, the Kings have done something amazing… Not that I thought for a moment they couldn’t win… I don’t mean amazing in that sense. I mean amazing, or should I say awe-inspiring, in that they NEVER GAVE UP!
NEVER GIVING UP!
Never Giving Up does not mean never changing; it does not imply inflexibility. It is really important to learn as you go and keep modifying to get better and improve. In my mind, even big companies that eventually fail do so because they become inflexible. Never Giving Up is not inflexibility, what it does mean though, is to Never Give Up On Your Dream.
We all run into the negative naysayers; the ones who say “You are never going to be successful.” At the least this hurts, particularly if it is someone close or someone you respect and value who says this. It is easy to let this get you down. Me, what I do, is say to myself “I will show you.” “You will eat those words someday.”
YOU WILL EAT THOSE WORDS SOMEDAY
One of the biggest obstacles small businesses run into is not giving themselves enough time to succeed. If you are not in it for the long run, then my advice is, don’t even start. If the first obstacle, or the second, or even the third makes you fold and give up, give up your dream, then in my mind, it really isn’t your dream.
"WHETHER YOU THINK YOU CAN, OR THINK YOU CAN'T, YOU'RE RIGHT"
Henry Ford said “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.” It is impossible to even live, much less run a business, without failing. It is what you do with that failure that counts. And of course, I suppose if you don’t try at all you could say you avoid failure, but in my mind if you don’t try for that dream, that in itself is a failure.
To further inspire and remind you, here is a list of people who did not give up, even though they had many, many failures:
Henry Ford: While Ford is today known for his innovative assembly line and American-made cars, he wasn't an instant success. In fact, his early businesses failed and left him broke five times before he founded Ford Motor Company.
R. H. Macy: Most people are familiar with this large department store chain, but Macy didn't always have it easy. Macy started seven failed businesses before finally hitting it big.
Walt Disney: Walt Disney had a rough start. He was fired by a newspaper editor because, "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." After that, Disney started a number of businesses that didn't last too long and ended with bankruptcy and failure. He kept plugging along, however, and finally found a recipe for success that worked.
Thomas Edison: In his early years, teachers told Edison he was "too stupid to learn anything." Work was no better, as he was fired from his first two jobs for not being productive enough. Even as an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.
J. K. Rowling: Rowling may be reeling in a lot of Harry Potter moolah today, but before she published the novels she was nearly penniless, severely depressed, divorced, and trying to raise a child on her own. Rowling went from depending on welfare to being one of the richest women in the world in a span of only five years through her hard work and determination.
And the list goes on and on. You read the list, and say, yes, but I am not as smart, as talented, as creative, as… Wrong! The difference is these people NEVER GAVE UP.
SO, HERE ARE MY 6 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE KINGS:
1.Never Give Up On Your Dream; It is yours so protect it and nurture it.
2.Missteps, what I think of as mini-wrong-turns are inevitable; Expect them.
3.Never Giving Up Does Not Mean Inflexibility; Learn From Your Mistakes and keep going
4.Avoid negative thinkers and negative thoughts. You are in charge; Always Be Positive
5.When you are exhausted and spent, just give it one more try, a little more effort than before
As Kings player Justin Williams said, ”We have a team that simply will not be denied.”
6. DO NOT BE DENIED. NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER SURRENDER YOUR DREAM.