Beatrice Schultz

Keep Going 

There is an old saying that goes;

“Hope differed makes the heart sick.”

And oh, has my heart been broken along the way. 

Nothing is more painful than seeing your dream come to life before you, and then just as you attain it, it crumbles and dies. 

Growing up, I dreamed of creating spaces for women to have heart-to-heart conversations that inspired change and broke societal taboos.

Running towards this dream, I fell many times along the way; deals were not falling through, events were being cancelled, having to fund everything myself, realising I couldn’t and felt like I could not attain that dream.

There were times I wondered whether I should give up or continue persevering. What I learnt is this:

If it hurts you more to let it go than the rejections, then keep going.

It’s not the how and the when that matters but the why that keeps the flame ablaze.

When you understand who you are and why you desire to do the things you want to do, you will begin to see that it doesn’t matter how many times you fail; it doesn’t matter how many no’s you get along the way. 

Why? 

Because each failure is an opportunity to do better next time, starting from experience and not from scratch. 

Each “no” is not the end of the road but a redirection to something greater. 

Now don’t get me wrong, it hurts all the same even knowing all this, and that’s ok.

Allow yourself to feel what you are feeling, don’t suppress it by telling yourself it will be ok… (it will be ok in the long run ). However, acknowledge the emotions you are feeling then.

Is it anger? 

Is it frustration?

Is it overwhelming? 

Is it fear? 

Say it aloud and free yourself of the assumption that you are not allowed to experience such emotions. 

All emotions are healthy emotions, acknowledge them allows you to transform from that situation. 

So how do you go about keeping positive when the road gets tough and the tough get going? 

1. Before you begin, write down your vision and why you want to do that. Your why should be bold and clearly defined. 
2. Write down your life purpose; what is it that you were innately called to do? What is that incline that doesn’t seem to shake off? 
3. Understand that failure is part of the process, so start with what you have, fail fast and learn from it. 
4. When you are tired, rest, and don’t give up. Incorporate rest into your hustle. Allow yourself breathing space to switch off and re-calibrate. 
5. Surround yourself with people that genuinely want to see you win; your tribe determines your vibe. It can be one person… someone who understands and can remind you of your why. 
6. Celebrate all the victories along the way, even the tiniest ones. Write them down and dance. 

The pathway to success is: hard work plus perseverance sprinkled with discipline and consistency. 

Keep going; it might not always be easy; there may be times when it looks like everyone is attaining their dreams, and it’s just you struggling to get along. 

Remember, everyone, and I mean everyone, has their challenges, so never compare your chapter 4 with someone’s chapter 500. Learn to celebrate other people’s wins, and see it as verification that it is possible. 

One day at a time, one foot in front of the other. One goal accomplished, one step closer … keep on keeping on; success is on the other side of hard work. 

“All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

– Romans 8:28—