There's a Lot More Left in the Tube

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There's a Lot More Left in the Tube

When I shave each morning, I use shaving cream that comes out of a small " travel

size " aerosol can. The can is only about 3 inches high. I'd been using that

little can for several weeks when I realized the can was getting very light. I

immediately thought, " Can't be much more left in here. "

I was just about to throw it in the wastebasket when I figured I could eke out

another shave or two.

Much to my amazement, the shaving cream kept coming out day after day after day.

I ended up getting 19 more shaves from that little dispenser! And to think that

I was just about to throw the can away.

I'm sure you've experienced the same thing with a tube of toothpaste or shampoo.

It looks like the tube is just about empty, but you keep folding the tube and

squeezing - and you get days or weeks of extra use from the supposedly empty

tube.

There's a lesson here for all of us. We work toward a goal and sometimes get

frustrating results for a long time. Things aren't working out as we had

anticipated. We think there's not much left in " our tube " and we give some

thought to quitting. The reality is that we have a lot more left in the tube, if

we'll only continue to believe in ourselves and keep moving forward.

In fact, our biggest breakthroughs often occur when we think there's nothing

left in our tube. You see, there's a polarity to life, and when you experience

setbacks and disappointments, these are often balanced by significant

achievements. Yet most people quit before the " turnaround " happens.

Napoleon Hill, one of the most insightful success writers of all time described

this phenomenon in his classic self-help book, Think & Grow Rich. In the early

1900s, Hill spent decades interviewing more than 500 of the most successful

people in the United States - people like Edison, Henry Ford and

Carnegie.

Hill reported that hundreds of these successful individuals told him that their

greatest success came just one step after they suffered their greatest defeat.

Harriet Beecher Stowe put the principle this way: " When you get into a tight

place and everything goes against you until it seems that you cannot hold on for

a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that

the tide will turn. "

About 10 years ago, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen began pitching their

book to various publishers. The first

30 rejected their book. They could have thrown in the towel then, believing the

tube was empty. Then they got the 31st rejection... and then the 32nd rejection.

Was the tube empty? They didn't think so. On the 34th attempt, they finally got

a publisher to say " yes " to their book.

That book was Chicken Soup for the Soul, and it spawned a series of books that

has now sold over 80 million copies! Sometimes we have to fight our own doubts

as to whether we can keep going in the face of setbacks. At other times, we have

to ignore the beliefs of others who tell us that there's nothing left in our

tube and that we have to give up on our dreams.

Take the example of Foreman - businessman, broadcaster and former

heavyweight boxing champion. As he approached the age of 40, decided he

would come out of retirement and regain the heavyweight championship. Most

people thought he had nothing left in the tube; certainly not enough to win the

championship again at his " advanced " age.

They said he was too old, out of shape and " rusty " after being away from boxing

for so long. But never listened to the naysayers and on Nov. 5, 1994 at

the age of

45, Foreman knocked out r to re-capture the heavyweight

title. In the end, it didn't matter that others doubted because he never

doubted himself. He knew he had plenty left in the tube.

Some of you may be wondering whether there's ever a time to " cut your losses "

and stop pursuing your goal. I think the answer to that is " yes, " but it's

usually when you come to the point where you lack enthusiasm to achieve that

goal, or if you find you no longer have the commitment to do what it might take

to accomplish it. Without enthusiasm and commitment, there really is very little

left in your tube.

However, if you're still excited about reaching a goal that may seem off in the

distance, it might be time to reexamine your strategy and see if any adjustments

are called for. After all, there's no point in continuing to take steps that

have proven ineffective.

Once you believe you have a viable strategy, and you're willing to expend the

energy and effort to do what it takes to accomplish your goal, don't give up.

It's just a matter to time until you'll get a " second wind. "

If you've played sports or exercised, you've experienced the " second wind. "

You're exerting yourself for a while and you think you can't go on any longer.

Then, you suddenly feel a new burst of energy as you catch your second wind.

You're re-energized!

said " most people never run far enough on their first wind to find

out they've got a second. " Don't let that happen to you. What a shame to give up

when you can still reach your fondest dreams.

So, when you think the tube is just about empty, take heart and realize that now

is not the time to call it quits. Success may be just over the horizon

-- Jeff Keller

© Attitude is Everything, Inc.