DEFEAT IS ONLY TEMPORARY
IF
YOU DECIDE TO LEARN FROM IT,
GET UP, PERSEVERE AND
PURSUE YOUR GOALS.
IT REQUIRES STRENGTH, FOCUS AND PASSION.
ADD “RELENTLESS” FOR MEASURE.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
YOV’VE HIT ROADBLOCKS ALONG YOUR WAY TO YOUR GOALS. THE PAST FEW DAYS, WEEKS OR MONTHS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN GOING AS PLANNED.
KNOW THIS: IT IS A ROUGH ROAD THAT LEADS TO THE HEIGHTS OF APPRECIATION AND GREATNESS.
DON’T RUIN A NEW DAY BY JUDGING WHAT IT IS GOING TO BE BY THINKING ABOUT YESTERDAY.
ALL YOUR HARD WORK WILL PAY OFF SOON. STAY THE COURSE AND STICK WITH WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING NO MATTER HOW HARD IT GETS.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
This marks the 1,000th post in http://www.leatherpotato.com – a record of sorts.
When I first started out, I did not really have any “milestone” goals for this blog / website. Looking back now, I only like or is it “like only” started tapping keys on keyboard to computer (putting pen to paper) in the middle of the year 2020. There were two reasons to this.
The first being the Covid-19 pandemic, which took the lives of millions of people around the world, and left families, businesses and the world at large; devastated. Every bit of news we got was how the pandemic was on a rampage, showing or knowing no mercy for innocent children, women and men. People were at the mercy of an “enemy” they knew little or nothing about. Country after country declared lockdowns which were curfews. Businesses, even industries; were forced to shutter. People lost their jobs, their livelihoods, their will to survive.
I wanted to make an attempt to provide some hope. We just needed to keep going, believing the sun was going to rise the next morning after having gone down the night before. People needed to hang on to that belief, that everything was going to be ok. If one person could have that glimmer of hope, he or she could spread it to the next person. Hope was one “infection” worth having.
They (I keep asking, who are the “they”? This is a mysterious group of people, who seem to hide behind the description “they” and not want to identify themselves or even take ownership of what they) said I would be wasting my time. The world is so big, that I wouldn’t make a difference. I knew I was not going to be able to change the world, that was a given. But if I could add a little value, even if it was a blip to the people around me; giving them something to hang on to; my time used would be all the worthwhile.
I did not want to wait and spend precious time creating organizations and other such groups to get something simple moving. This was not going to attract media cover. I suggested to others to do the same, with a “pass it on” ripples effect. We, the people from all over the world, were glad that the Covid-19 pandemic ended. The idea of making a caring difference was to continue. Everyone needs a spark to touch their lives.
The second reason was “Can or not?” (Local Chinese speaking the English. I am not Chinese but I find this humorous 😂.) It was a goal. At that time, I could not see just past a few days. Writing an article each day or every few days, was an activity that would take up my already cramped schedule. I started writing. The next year (2021), I set a target of 100 articles to write. In the middle of that year, a good friend of our family, Richard Kok, who was keeping tabs of my articles; gave me a wake up call, stating that I had written only a few articles; and wondered if I was going to make the hundred article mark. From then on… the rest is history.
Over the past one and a half years, I have written at least 1 article per day. And wrote a book, too. According to my publisher, the book will be coming off the press this Friday. I’m so excited. I will fill you in on the details soon.
I want to thank each and everyone of you readers, for your support and constant feedback, on how my work resonates in your lives and with your lives. Please keep your wonderful messages coming in.
Now, to the future, the next moment onwards.
WHEN ALL FAILS, YOUR STRATEGY ONLY BECOMES EFFECTIVE WHEN YOU START TAKING ACTION TO CHANGE.
OUR GREATEST WEAKNESS LIES IN GIVING UP, UNFORTUNATELY.
THE MOST CERTAIN WAY TO SUCCEED IS ALWAYS TO TRY AGAIN.
ONE MORE TIME.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
i know, you’ve probably seen this, read or heard it over and over again…but
NEVER GIVE UP.
YOU FEAR, WORRY AND ARE ANXIOUS BECAUSE YOU FOCUS ON THE RESULT OF FAILURE.
CHANGE YOUR FOCUS TO THE RESULT OF SUCCESS. HOW YOU ARE GOING TO COME OUT OF A ROUGH SITUATION… THAT IS UP TO YOU. IT SURE BEATS FOCUSING ON FAILURE.
IN FACT, YOU WON’T HAVE TIME FOR FAILURE.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
I am typing, and typing away…sentences, paragraphs, then blank. Nothing. It is like someone pulled the plug from the power source. Here, I am talking about my thoughts. I am going at a decent speed (As Malaysians will say, “Shy, don’t want to say full speed” (1) even though they would beat Flash Gordon to a speed race. Hang on. I don’t need to say “speed race”. It is understood that a race has to do with speed. You don’t hear people say, I will race you to see who’s the slowest. Then again, that has speed involved). My decent speed is most likely snail’s (Turbo being the exception (2)) pace.
Yeah, so blank. Nothing. It is not like I’ve hit a brick wall or come to a dead end. It’s just… blank. I go through my ideaSketchpad💡for clues. It is in here, that I have a lot of “start up(s)” – where an idea or a thought suddenly comes to me that I start up a new article with it. Multiple times, I get ideas while I am working on an article, not related to the article I am working on. All work-in-progress articles are in the ideaSketchpad 💡.
I decided to take a break and have my dinner. I went through some of the many food containers in the fridge. I came across a container which had corned beef, and another with mashed potato. I found a pack of hotdog buns. I straight away thought up coney-potato hotdog. i.e. a hotdog bun stuffed with delicious corned been and mashed potato – an awesome combination. Just right.
The corned beef was super delicious. It wasn’t too oily. The mashed potato was made by my wife, Jeannie. This homemade or home prepared mashed potato is the real thing, not the stuff that comes in powdered form, mixed with water, which is served at many of the fast food restaurants.
My coney-potato hotdog was simple. No need to line the hotdog sandwich with butter, or add other stuff in like cucumbers, lettuce, sauces. The hotdog sandwich was gone so fast. I am generally a fast eater.
The break was a welcome. I began looking at alternative ideas and in the end got a couple of stories ready.
The thing is we all hit roadblocks, some temporary, some a bit more serious. However, never lose sight of your goals. Picture yourself trying to cross a wide whitewater river with strong undercurrents caused by rapids. Your only way to get across the river is to hang on to an overhead rope that is secured to trees on both ends. You hang on to the rope and began your journey to get across to the other side.
As you are going across, the water velocity and turbulence gets stronger. You can’t let go of the rope, no matter what. Finally, you make it across to the other side.
It is the same thing as in life. The rope represents your goals. The strong river flow and undercurrents are the objections, distractions, “better to give up”, “I can’t go on any longer”. If you hang on to that rope, which are your goals, and don’t lose sight of your destination; you will arrive. The achievement of your goals is the only destination that you should be focused on, to ensure that you get there. (3)
NOTES:
1. You will come across Malaysians who will play down their capabilities and successes. They don’t want to be boastful. It is a display of being humble. Can this be construed as being shy?
2. Turbo the movie (2013)
3. What if you almost achieve your goals but did not quite get there? If you put in more than just your best, be happy with the result. The end result would probably have placed you in a better position than when you first started.
What should be done next? Get back to the starting line and start again. This time round, you will know where the “strong currents, rapids, and rocks are” and work your way around them. Remember to never let go of “the rope”.
THE STRONGEST FACTOR FOR SUCCESS IS SELF-ESTEEM.
ALONG THE WAY, YOU MAY FACE TEMPORARY DEFEAT. IT IS AN INDICATION THAT YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS.
NEVER GIVE UP.
BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN DO IT.
BELIEVE THAT YOU DESERVE IT.
IT TAKES A PERSON WITH GUTS TO BELIEVE THAT HE’LL GET IT.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND ALL THAT YOU ARE.
I HAVE THE POWER AND WHAT IT TAKES TO TURN MY SETBACK INTO A COMEBACK.
DON’T JUST DO YOUR BEST. GIVE YOUR “ALL”.
RECOGNIZE AND KNOW THAT THERE IS SOMETHING INSIDE YOU THAT IS GREATER THAN ANY OBSTACLE.
COURAGE
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
If you have read it, you will recognize it.
Lap after lap. 3, 4, 5 kilometers a day in the pool. Day after day…week after week…month after month.
At 9 years old, wanted to be world champion. Forgoing parties, events and other fun things.
In the water, lap after lap after lap. 20 meters…50 meter lengths.
School holidays and other holidays – the same.
Personal times for her 50 meter and 100 meter pet events kept dropping… So did the times of her other events. Kept on improving. Kept moving up the heats… From the 1st heat in the very beginning… Kept moving up the heat charts. When she reached the last 3 heats in her events at each championship race, the state athletes at that time started paying attention to her. A new kid on the block as competition.
13 years old. A big responsibility added on. Selected to represent the state team. Swim and training was now an average 9 times a week (twice each on Saturday and Sunday).
Kept on at it. Times kept improving. Was a contributor towards the team’s many championship wins. Within a short period of time, reached the top 3 in the country for her age group. Broke individual and relay records all along the way.
Graduated from high school. Went on to further her studies in the U.S.
Was on the university’s swimming team. Helped the university move up the swim charts. Set individual and relay records for the university.
There were many ups and downs, bumpy roads, disappointments, total excitement and joy throughout her swim athlete, school and university story. She held fast to her belief in herself and her goals. She had fun. It was not so much just about the “winning”. It was the “experiences” take away: winning yes, also teamwork, sharing and building relationships with various people along the way.
The role of parents? Support, love, care, support. Always be enthusiastic for your children. Driving them to 3-hour daily training and then back.
As parents, we have to continuously encourage them, even on the days they may be tempted by non-athletes to skip training. My wife and I use to tell our daughter, “your fiercest competitor will be training while you are thinking of missing it. The decision is yours. What is the end result you want?”
Be with them, cheering them on; even if it means spending 15 hours at a swim meet, each day on a three- or four-day championship.
Past and current swim athletes, when looking back; can relate to this “grueling lifestyle” during their swim career. When looking back they can smile, joke about the times their energy was completely spent and they still had 25 meters of the race to go, times when they lost and the many times when they won both in the pool and out of the pool. About the times they literally had fun.
Now, graduated – B. Sc. Entrepreneurship. Looking for a job in the U.S. With 16 years of swim athlete experience and an Entrepreneurship studies degree; she wants to share her experiences by applying them in the work that she will be doing.
Now, she takes with her a way of discipline in doing things, a “never give up” character and the bright side of things when she goes employment hunting.
~ Dedicated to Laura Atkinson
Life is like maintaining your weight. You’ve got to keep working at it to keep it at its optimum level.
~ Alan Ian Atkinson