Never Give Up

A note to myself.

Some mornings it feels easier to quit. Roll over when the alarm rings, leave the clay bag closed, tell myself there's no use showing up today. But if pottery has taught me anything, it's that not giving up is half the work.

The wheel doesn't care about my mood. The kiln doesn't care if I'm tired from overtime at the factory or if I'd rather be reading a book. The work just waits there, patient as anything, until I come back. And the only real failure is not coming back.

I've ruined more pots than I can count. Some cracked in the firing, some slumped right off the wheel, some turned out so ugly I couldn't bear to look at them. But each failure taught me something. Each one nudged me forward a little. If I'd stopped after the first batch of broken mugs or that first glaze disaster that looked like burnt oatmeal, I wouldn't have the shelves of work I have today.

Not giving up doesn't mean every day is a triumph. Some days it looks like trimming just one pot before falling into bed. Some days it means writing a single paragraph here, even if I'm not proud of it. Small acts are still acts. They add up over time, build momentum, prove to myself that even when I want to walk away, I can take one more step.

So I keep going. One more pot, one more firing, one more page filled with words. I remind myself that persistence has a longer memory than discouragement. Clay rewards those who return, who keep showing up even when the only reason is the stubborn belief that tomorrow something better might come off the wheel.

Not giving up isn't about perfection. It's about faith, and it's about practice. And practice, if we keep at it long enough, shapes us into who we hope to become. Dont tell anyone. I have cobwebs in my throwing pail.

If I were living yesterday a second time:

I would have trimmed that one more pot instead of telling myself I was too tired.

Things I am grateful for:

Clay that waits patiently and doesn't judge. And for the reminder that showing up is half the battle.

If I get to live to be 86, I might only have:

12,921 days left to keep not giving up.