In Winston Churchill’s famous speech to Harrow School in October 1941, when the British were bombarded by the Germans, he said these words,
“But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period–I am addressing myself to the School–surely from this period of ten months, this is the lesson:
Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
I thought about the junctures in life when I could have given in, and given up: enduring a breakup of an engagement in 2011, going on no income for one year after starting on my own biz in 2017, and folding up one of my biz in May this year.
At each of the lowest point, the feeling is similar. When I went through the breakup in 2011, I was close to depression. I went through the various stages of grief, first, the self denial, then the anger and frustration, and finally, the self-blame and loss of faith and hope in people as well as God.
In 2017 and earlier this year, it was the sense of hopelessness, and giving up that plagued my mind. But even as I walked through these dark periods of my life, I was really thankful that there were angels in my life who never gave up on me.
What can we learn from Winston Churchill and his people during the lowest point of their lives? One thing I learnt is that they chose to press on, and kept the faith that things will turn for the better, as long as they stay united together to face the adversity. It is not only Winston Churchill himself, but the countless nameless people who selflessly gave and helped when England endured waves and waves of bombing. Don’t feel that you are fighting the battle alone, but know that there are people who are willing to endure with you. Know that there is a God who knows the deepest struggles in your heart, and loves and cares for you.
I didn’t give up, because I believed that as long as I keep fighting, there will always be a chance. They say that the night is always the darkest before dawn. And as someone who loves trekking and climbing mountains, you will always feel like giving in, and giving up in the final stretch before reaching the top of the mountain.
The words of Churchill resonated deeply with me. I hope that it will also encourage you in your journey.
Never, never give in, or give up.