Into the fire

I think one of the hardest decisions I have to make on a pretty regular basis is the decision to not give up. I am constantly tempted to throw in the towel, to settle for mediocrity, to do something easier than what I am currently doing. I was telling a close friend of mine how discouraged I was and that I needed to gain some confidence if I was going to excel any further. In all his wisdom he replied:

You can't excel at all if you quit.

He was right. If we just run away from our fears, we won't ever accomplish anything. If we give up now, we have no chance of winning in the end. Yes, there is a lot of competition in the world. There are so many things opposing us. It is often hard to believe that we have a chance of winning. But we can't just forfeit the game. We must face our foes and if we fight with all of our might, we will conquer. In one of my favorite musicals, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Percy sings a song that goes like this:

There will always be a valley Always mountains one must scale There will always be perilous waters Which someone must sail
Never hold back your step for a moment Never doubt that your courage will grow Hold your head even higher and into the fire we go
Are there mountains that surround us? Are there walls that block the way? Knock 'em down, strip 'em back boys And forward and into the fray
Someone has to face the valley Rush in! We have to rally and win boys When the world is saying not to By God, you know you've got to march on, boys Never hold back your step for a moment Look alive! Oh, your courage will grow Yes, it's higher and higher and into the fire we go Into fire! Onward, ho!

So on that note, Onward, ho!!!!!!!!
And that's what Jenny thinks.