Dr. Will Moreland
YOU COULD QUIT,
BUT THAT WOULDN’T
BE ANY FUN!
7 Lessons On Not Quitting
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
©2012, Will Moreland
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“Victory is a mindset that works its
way into our actions. Our actions
produce our outcomes, our outcomes
are our reality. Anyone can choose
to be victorious, and reject being a
victim. We cannot always determine
what happens to us, but we can
choose how we respond. Our
response is the deciding factor on
whether we experience victory or
defeat.”
- Dr. Will Moreland
Connect with Dr. Will
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By International Leadership Expert Dr. Will Moreland
GENIUS POTENTIAL Learn How To Identify, Develop & Release Yours
“Dr. Will has laid out a simple blueprint for anyone that wants
to improve their lives.”
Dr. Dennis Sempebwa, Founder Eagles Wings International
In Genius Potential, You Will Learn:
To discover what really makes you come alive
To focus your attention on the habits that bring the best
results
To develop your skills and maximize your Genius
Potential
To create a strategy that will enable you to produce better
results
To implement the Genius Formula
No matter where you start in life, everyone is responsible to
identify their Genius Potential to release it to the world.
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Contents
Introduction Lesson One - Everyone Wants to Quit at Some Point Lesson Two - Surround Yourself with People That Understand the Process Lesson Three - No One Remembers the Quitters Lesson Four - People Are Counting on You Lesson Five - It Really Is Paying Off Lesson Six - Know When to Quit Lesson Seven - You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
In high school I ran track. I was an above average runner and did
pretty well, but like anything in life if you want to improve you have to do
just a little bit more, go that extra mile. My team mates were some serious
athletes; they loved sports and were committed to doing the work to
become better.
I was mainly on the team to hang out with my friends. In my junior
year, our relay team was doing pretty good. I ran the second leg on our
4x100 relay team. Jay Sims ran first leg, J-Sharp ran third and Carlos ran
the anchor leg. In our league we did very well, we were headed to the
State Championships.
Coach Dennis told us we had an excellent opportunity to do well in
the championships if we were willing to work just a little bit harder. My
teammates were ready. I on the other hand was just going through the
motions, but I was a team player, so I agreed to put in the extra practice
time.
Each day after school we would go to practice and work our butts
off. Working on our hand –offs with the baton, practicing our form over
and over. Coach Dennis had us working hard.
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Then one day, J-Sharp came to the three of us at lunch and said
“Hey fellas, you know when we run at State, they have a rubber track.”
Our school had a dirt track. Not really understanding the difference in
totality, I causally listened in. He continued “I think we need to go up to the
college track after practice and practice on the rubber track.” I waited for
the response of the others and sure enough, they were all on board. Not
wanting to be the spoiler, I agreed as well.
Each day after practice we would pack into J-Sharp’s Escort and
head to El Camino College. Practicing twice a day went on for several
weeks; I constantly wondered what I got myself into. Then one day, I had
enough. It was hot; I was tired and didn’t want to see another baton. I
guess we had practiced that day for about an hour or so. I can’t remember
who suggested it, but someone said let’s run it a few more times. I quickly
said “I’m done; I’m not running another inch.” A few words were
exchanged between us. I said “I don’t care, I’m not running anymore.” A
few more choice words from my buddies, and then I said “Fine then I
QUIT.”
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Making quality decisions is always tough when you are tired,
fatigued or frustrated; I suggest you never make decisions when you are
feeling this way.
As I begin to walk off the track, mumbling to myself. One of the
older guys that was at the track working out ran over to me. “Hey man
what’s up?” He said, I replied “Those guys are crazy, they want to
practice all night, I’m tired and ready to go home.” Never stopping to
actually look at the guy, he continued “Man you don’t have just a little
energy left to practice?” “I sure don’t” I replied. He grabbed me and
looked me in the face and said “Don’t quit on your team, they need you.
What are you guys practicing for?” I said “We are going to State in track.”
He had this look on his face as if he just went to another place in his mind.
With a huge grin on his face, he said “Man you don’t want to miss out on
that, you are going to have so much fun, and there is going to be a million
girls there.”
Well he got my attention. As I headed back to meet up with the
guys, Carlos said “What did Curtis say to you?” I started laughing, “Man he
said there would be a million girls at State.” J-Sharp sensing I didn’t know
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
who I just spoke with said “Do you know who that was?” I said “No, who
was that?” Everyone started laughing, “Man that is Curtis Conway!” Curtis
at the time was a star athlete at the University of Southern California
(USC). He eventually was drafted by the Chicago Bears and went on to
have a good career in the NFL. That day Curtis helped me realize some
valuable lessons. Lessons I want to share with you, this eBook is about
those lessons. Lessons I learned from not quitting.
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
Lesson 1
Everyone Wants to Quit at Some Point
Wanting to quit is really not a bad idea in totality. When we get to
the point where we want to quit, that actually means we were taking some
action toward a goal or a dream most likely. Because it hasn’t happened
just yet, we tend to feel like we are wasting our time.
In the book “What Makes the Great Great” Dr. Dennis Kimbro
recalls a time when he was talking with the very successful A.G. Gaston.
Dr. Kimbro found himself very frustrated about the work he was doing. At
the time he was working on his now famous and #1 Best Selling Book
Think and Grow Rich a Black Choice. At this meeting the book had not yet
been published. Broke, feeling less than a man, and down-right tired he
broke out in tears in front of Mr. Gaston.
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Mr. Gaston looked at Dr. Kimbro and said the following.
“Don’t tell me it’s too hard! What you can do you must do. But if you are
satisfied just to get by, then step aside from the man or woman who isn’t.”
Wanting to quit is a natural part of the process. Everyone knows the
steps, keys and the blueprint for success, what we don’t know is the
timing of success. All we know is you must keep doing the right things and
she will show up.
Great men and women must be tested in the laboratory of
adversity. Fear not, young man, continue to move forward.
Greatness takes time.
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
Lesson 2
Surround Yourself with People Who
Understand the Process
Many times we want to share are hurt, pain and frustration with
people who really are not equipped to help us. These people love you for
the most part and hate to see you in pain. Because they have connected
the pain you are feeling to the journey you are on, they suggest that you
get off that road.
They mean well, they think they are helping you by telling you to
find an easier path. These are people who most likely tried to live above
the norm, to live above average, but when the journey got tough they quit.
Find the Spotters in your life.
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
You have to understand that all failure is not bad. In my younger
days I did a little weight lifting. And on some days my goal was to fail. I
wanted to reach muscle failure. It was at this point that my muscles would
begin to expand, and that’s exactly what I wanted. For this to happen I had
to lift heavier weights and continue to lift them until I almost cried in pain.
If you have ever worked with a personal trainer, one of the first
questions they will ask you is, “What do you want to accomplish or
achieve?” Your response will determine the type of work-outs you must
perform. Ever goal has a different set of rules. The same is true for your
dreams and visions.
When I would lift these heavier weights, I always had what you call a
“Spotter.” This individual stood over me to ensure I didn’t hurt myself.
They were also there to encourage me to push a little harder. The Spotter
was not there to lift the weights for me, but to ensure I did my best and
didn’t hurt myself. Usually shouting “Come on, one more, you can do it.”
Find people that are familiar with the process, they can relate to what you
are experiencing and encourage you.
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
Lesson 3
No One Remembers the Quitters
There is a Bible story in the book of Numbers that illustrates
Lesson Three well. As Moses the leader of the Israelites was devising a
plan to lead his people to victory he sent out 12 spies to search out the
enemy.
These 12 spies went out to survey the land and assess the enemy.
When they returned to Moses to give their report, 10 of the spies came
back with a negative report and said it would be too dangerous to fight.
The other two spies had a very different perspective on the matter. They
told Moses that they would have no problem defeating the enemy. That the
reward of winning far outweighed any damage or loss they would
experience.
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The story goes on to reveal these two spies as Joshua and Caleb.
Joshua eventually succeeded Moses as the leader and Caleb went on to
have a very successful life.
The other 10 spies are never mentioned after that event. Each of
the 12 spies were chosen because they were leaders in the community.
But after the 10 spies refused to conquer the land, after they quit, you
hear no more about them. People don’t talk about quitters for very long.
The reward is worth the fight. Don’t
give up, keep pushing.
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
Lesson 4
People Are Counting On You
There was a reason why you started on the journey you are on.
Maybe you wanted to lose weight to live a healthier life. Going back to
school would put you in a better position to help your parents as they
approach retirement age. It could be that you want to improve yourself to
become a better citizen of the world.
Whatever the reason, you can’t quit. People that you haven’t even
met may be counting on you. Putting in long hours, countless hours of
learning, mental fatigue, you name it and you will likely have to experience
it on the road to success. Trust me it’s worth it.
I don’t think we realize how connected we are in this world. This
point was made clear to me when I help build a leadership academy in
Ghana, West Africa. The school president shared with me one day
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over lunch that it was his dream for over 20 years to provide a school
to train young leaders.
When we had our conversation I was 26 years old, he had been
dreaming of this school since I was 6 years old. If I had allowed all the
obstacles in my life to cause me to quit, young men and women in Ghana
may not have had the opportunity to receive the training today that is
helping to change their nation.
Whether you are trying to achieve something big or small, you
never know the impact that it could eventually have on millions. You don’t
think Bill Gates was met with challenges in starting Microsoft, but because
he didn’t quit, the success of his business has allowed him to start the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation that is changing lives around the world.
Anything worth anything in life is
going to be hard work.
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Lesson 5
It Really Is Paying Off
All the work, time, energy and effort are really paying off. You may
not be able to see it in a tangible form yet, if you don’t quit you will be able
to see it all come together at the end.
Think about baking a cake. The basic ingredients are cake mix,
eggs, milk, oil and maybe a few other items. The mix by itself doesn’t taste
good, nor do raw eggs. When you mix all the ingredients together they
produce a smooth sweet tasting mix. (As a side note, I loved when my
Grandma would let me lick the cake bowl.) To create this smooth sweet
mix you must beat the ingredients into this smooth mixture. Spread the
mix in a baking pan and allow the heat of the oven, usually turned up to
350 degrees to bake the mix to create the cake you want.
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That’s how the process of achieving your dreams are. The
reading, learning, hard work, failures, accomplishments, small victories
are all working together to produce your dream or vision.
What happens if you become impatient, and remove the cake from
the oven? You end up with something you cannot use. You cannot get the
ingredients back in their raw form. The time you have invested in pursuing
your goals, the energy and brain power is all gone, all a waste if you quit.
It is said that Thomas Edison failed over 10,000 times when he
was trying to create the light bulb, he never quit.
The Wright Brothers constantly failed in pursuing their dream of
flying, but never quit.
The reading, learning, work, failures,
accomplishments, small victories are all
working together to produce your dream or
vision.
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Jack Canfield was turned down by 100 publishers before finding
one that would publish Chicken Soup for the Soul, the now number one
best-selling book series in the world.
All the work is really getting you somewhere, just don’t quit.
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
Lesson 6
Know When to Quit
Quitting is not all bad. There are times when you need to quit.
Sometimes your brain is just fried and you need to step away for a
moment. You may realize what you are pursuing is not your true passion,
and a change needs to take place. These are examples of when quitting is
acceptable.
This book is for those who are on the course they should be on
and feel a little out of breathe. Hopefully this will give you a little boost.
You may be on the right road using the wrong vehicle.
Imagine a small car trying to pull a semi-truck, it will never work.
So you may need to quit using the equipment, tools, or systems you are
using and select new ones.
Remember I said earlier, no one knows exactly when success
happens, but we can identify some pointers when a person is on the right
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
road. I live in Arizona, so if I were to drive to New York, it would take about
3 days. On day two it would be foolish of me to expect to be in New York.
Now if it is day seven, then I have some problems.
I need to pull over and do an assessment. Once I assess my road
trip, identify any known obstacles that caused my delay, asking myself the
right questions, like, did I get off track for some reason. Maybe there was
a detour that caused me to take another route. After this is done, I can
make a good assessment and not an emotional assessment as to why I
haven’t achieved my goal as of yet.
You may be on the right road using
the wrong vehicle.
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
Lesson 7
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun
I rejoined the fellas and we finished practicing that day. Later that
year we did go to the State Championships. And boy I’m glad I didn’t quit.
Just like Curtis said, there were a million girls there. But that’s not why I’m
glad I didn’t quit.
One thing Coach Dennis kept telling us was that no matter what,
keep running, don’t quit. Even if you are in last place, keep running, don’t
quit. He stressed to us that you never know what might happen during the
race; the team that is in first place may drop the baton. A team may get out
of their lane and be disqualified. Coach Dennis said “Don’t allow what you
see to distract you.”
As we competed that day, advancing in each round, we finally
made it to the final heat. Looking at our times we thought we would end up
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sixth or seventh out of the nine teams. This wouldn’t be a bad finish for the
whole State of California.
The other teams were good, but Coach kept saying, “no matter
what, just don’t quit.” As the gun sounded, my heart was racing a mile a
minute, I kept hearing Coach say “Just don’t quit.” As I grabbed the baton
from Jay Sims and headed toward J-Sharp, I looked to see what place we
were in. I darted across the track to meet-up with J-Sharp to head to the
finish line.
From what we could tell, it looked like a 5th or 6th place finish. As
we looked for the results on the big screen, Leuzinger High School 4th
Place. One of the other teams had dropped the baton.
Even if you are in last place,
keep running, don’t quit.
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My teammates and I went down in history that day. We broke our
school record and we finished fourth that year in the whole State of
California. We had so much fun. Memories for a life time. Coach came over
and we all high-fived right there in the middle of the field. Smiling at us, he
said “I told you, just keep running, don’t quit.”
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
That’s what I want to leave you with, just keep pushing toward
your goals, don’t quit. I would have missed out on the joy of that
experience, all because I quit. Not because I couldn’t continue, but
because I became frustrated and tired, which are never reasons enough
to quit.
I hope in some way this small book gives you the inspiration to
keep going. We need all your gifts and talents to be released, we are all
better when each of us become better and don’t quit!
You Could Quit, But That Wouldn’t Be Any Fun www.willmoreland.com
About The Author
Dr. Will Moreland is author of 14 books on personal develop and
leadership, including the top selling Genius Potential. The book that
is creating a movement for individuals to shift into their Genius
Potential. The book is scheduled to be translated in Spanish in 2013.
He has spoken in over 25 countries on four different continents,
helping to develop companies and individuals in to world class
leaders in life and business.
His company Will Moreland International LLC is fastly becoming
one of the top training companies in America.
A military veteran, Dr. Will has led in various organizations in the
last 15 years, including education, non-profit, government and
finance.
To book Dr. Will to speak at your next event or conduct
training, please contact him at: [email protected]
Check out his blog:www.willmoreland.com/leadership-blog.html
Follow him on twitter: www.twitter.com/moldlegacy
Connect with him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/drwillspeaks
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