At the beginning of 1986, my dad had two job offers. One was in Vancouver. The other was in Texas. Coming to the United States had been part of his plan for a long time. Our boxes were packed. But since we had no idea where we were going, they didn't have any address labels.
But when he went to the American consulate to apply for a Visa, they rejected his request. The following Tuesday he decided to give it one more try. He got his visa, and we moved to Texas.
2015 was the year I almost quit. I was in such a dark place that I told a friend, "I think my work in the world has done more harm than good. Look at all the broken friendships and burnt bridges I've left in my wake."
He reassured me that wasn't true. So I decided to stick it out for another month or two. That's when I got the email from my editor at Penguin asking if I'd like to write a book with them.
“Extraordinary benefits accrue to the tiny minority of people who were able to push just a tiny bit longer than most"
-Seth Godin, The Dip
If something is worth doing, you'll enter what Seth Godin calls The Dip.
The founder struggling to gain traction with the startup he's worked on for a year is in the dip
The actor who is on audition number 50 without landing role is in the dip
The author or blogger who fees like she's not making progress after five months or sometimes even five years is in the dip
Inflection points, moments that change your life, and big dreams usually occur right on the other side of the dip.
You can always quit tomorrow, next week, or next month. If you resist the temptation to quit and give it one more try, you might just end up getting everything you've ever wanted.
