Did you ever notice how we only see success as success? When we are first exposed to someone successful we initially only think about their success, right?
We become envious.
Unless we are exposed to all the details of a personal success story, we don’t see (and we’re usually not told) about the struggle that preceded the success. We weren’t told about how many times they didn’t give up.
Every success comes with mountains of struggle
I have news for you, EVERY success comes with mountains of struggle, endless hurdles, obstacles overcome, bullets dodged, etc. There is ALWAYS a back story rife with failure, heartbreak, doubt, fear, second thoughts, and the fact that they didn’t give up through any of it.
Bottom line, I can guarantee you’ll fail if you don’t try again. Nobody can guarantee failure if you don’t give up. So, it’s a scientific fact that you can win if you don’t give up and you will definitely lose if you quit.
The only thing that is impossible is what you don’t try to achieve.
What’s the worst that could happen?
You have to try again?
So what? It’s worth it, right?
This dream of yours isn’t going to be easy. Simply put, if it was easy everyone would be doing it.
Here are 10 reasons not to give up
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It’s All About Talent AgainÂ
As terrestrial radio continues to become less effective at breaking acts in the marketplace, the big hype machine disappears with it. The ability to “hype†a non-talent into super-stardom is waning fast. The future stars in the music business are going to have to be talented to get recognized. Don’t give up. You have talent. Talent will win in the end.
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Pressure = Creation
There’s a saying that goes “Necessity is the mother of inventionâ€. You thrive on pressure even if you think you don’t. You are stronger than you think. Rick Rubin on several occasions (most notably Weezer’s “Beverly Hills†and Tom Petty’s “It’s Good To Be Kingâ€) would wait until a week or so before the scheduled recording sessions to tell an artist he didn’t think they had a single just to see what the pressure would create. Never give up. Pressure creates diamonds, I know it’s cliché, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
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Failure
You need it believe it or not. It’s what teaches you how to navigate your career better. Failure is what teaches you how to win. Remember every success is preceded by many failures. Just ask Michael Jordan who was cut from his high school basketball team; he didn’t give up. Sheryl Crow got a major label deal and recorded her first album only to scrap it completely before it was released. Of course she was then sued by her label; this was before Tuesday Night Music Club. She didn’t give up. Thomas Edison failed 2,000 times before he nailed the long lasting incandescent light bulb. He didn’t give up. Henry Ford went bankrupt multiple times before he invented the assembly line. he didn’t give up either.
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The Pursuit
Life happens as you make your way toward your goal; enjoy it. This time in your struggle, these are the moments that you will remember forever.  Again, I know its cliché, but think about it, success is not a destination, it is the journey. Especially in the music business, man, you are either on your way up or on your way down, there is no plateau where “things calm down†and you relax. Don’t give up. You want to make a living being a creative which means you’re always creating.
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You Are StrongÂ
You are stronger than you think. You have the capability to understand the fact that your career is always full of challenges, so EXPECT them and eat them for breakfast. Success will come when you resign yourself to dealing with these challenges as challenges, not excuses. 1, 10, or even 1,000 setbacks are not enough to stop you, so don’t give up.
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If You Give up on Yourself Everyone Else Will Too
Listen, ALL successful people have overcome incredible odds and incredible struggles to get where they are; you just aren’t aware of the back story. These prosperous people deeply understand that success is a mindset. They surround themselves with positive, like-minded people. They view quitters as a cancer, or a STD. When you project negativity or a quitting vibe it pisses successful people off. It pisses them off because it scares the shit out of them. It scares them because they KNOW failure is just 1 negative thought away. Don’t give up.
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There is no Overnight Success
No great thing was created overnight. Many years of work went into every success before it ever came to your attention. Don’t be naive. Don’t give up.
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You’re Just a Few Tweaks Away
Sometimes a few tweaks and adjustments to a plan are all that it takes to make a giant leap forward. Over the course of my band’s first tour, we lost $8,000 because I didn’t know what I was really doing. A few tweaks coupled with a clearer understanding of the game and our second touring experience had us actually making a living on ½ the gross revenue! Don’t give up. I failed first, learned, then got better; you can too.
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You Can Change the Industry Forever
Make your dent, man. Florida Georgia Line had the BEST writers in town and a KILLER producer behind their project. All the record labels still said “No†because FL/GA Line was too different. They went to Satellite radio where “Cruise†became a smash hit and after a little tour they sold 100,000 downloads. Then every label that said “no†was saying “yesâ€. The record, the production, the band, the sound, and the songs didn’t change. The only thing that changed was the perception. They didn’t give up when everyone said no. Don’t give up.
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Let the Haters Hate
The more you succeed the more haters you will have. Think of them like little trophies, assuming you’re not a douchebag it means you’re doing something right. Don’t give up.
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