The Other Side Of The Hill

by allinspiration.com

A man lived at the foot of a hill. For a long time, he heard tales of the other side of the hill. Stories of fertile land and prosperous crops, great weather, beautiful women, breathtaking scenery and crystal-clear springs.

One day, he decided he was tired of his current life and felt it was time to improve it. So, he packed his bags, left his home and started climbing the hill in search of greener pastures.

The climb was extremely trying both physically and mentally. The man stopped and rested many times. At some points, the hill was very steep indeed, and many times, he really felt like giving up. But the thought of a better life kept him going.

One day, the man came to a very steep part of the hill - it was almost vertical. And at the top lay some very thick vegetation. It wasn't the first time he had come across such an obstacle. Perhaps this one was slightly more daunting than the rest, but it was certainly well within his capability.

But he was really tired. All those days of climbing and bashing through vegetation had taken their toil on him. And, all this time, he had no results to show, no fruits to enjoy. He was sick and tired. To some extent, bitter. He decided all this suffering wasn't really worth it. So what if he got to the other side of the hill? There was no guarantee that it held what the tales promised. His old home wasn't that bad anyway. So that was it. He decided to give up. He turned around and set off for home.

Little did the man know, that beyond that steep slope and thick vegetation, was already the peak of the hill. After that, it was to be a smooth journey downhill. And, indeed, on the other side of the hill, was exactly what the tales had promised. In fact, even better than what they claimed.

He had already done the hard part, but he chose to quit just when things were going to get much better.

"Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it."
Josephus Daniels

"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go."
William Feather

"The only time you don't fail is the last time you try anything - and it works."
William Strong

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
Calvin Coolidge