I Quit!

Ever had one of those days where nothing goes your way?
No? Then what planet are you from?
We've all had those days where no matter what we do, we just keep making matters worse. And as much as we know that we had better just stop what we're doing and cut our losses, we don't. We just keep going, making a bigger mess of things, convinced that if we try JUST ONE MORE TIME, we'll FINALLY get it right.
But much to our chagrin, it all goes to trash once more.
Does this sound to you as though I may be contradicting my principles of "Hard work pays off" or "If you fail, get up and try again"?
Fear not loyal readers, I am about to explain.
There is an old Chinese Proverb that says, "Of all the stratagems, to know when to quit is the best."
But I am more inclined to think like W.C. Fields when he said, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's no point in being a damn fool about it." 
You see, there really is no shame in quitting, once you have given your best effort.
Ah, there it is. That's where my Personal Responsibility, Personal Accountability and Common Sense mantra all come together. 
Let's face it, there will be things that no matter how much effort you put in, you're not going to succeed. That is when it's time to say, "I'm done." 
Now, in case you're of the mindset that believes anyone-can-do-anything-they-want-so-long-as-they-have-a-positive-attitude, allow me to burst your bubble.
You can't do any-thing you want no matter how positive an outlook you have. We may all have certain gifts, traits and skills, but none of us can do everything. The only person who can hold that job is God, and he really doesn't need your help keeping it all together.
Oh, and don't trust the Ra-Ra, Pep-Talk Speakers and Authors who say you can do anything and everything either. They are the people who love to blow smoke up your skirt and make you feel invincible. But after the smoke clears and you're back to reality, you realize that the only thing you were able to do is line their wallets.
It really comes down to this, "Know When To Quit." Plain and simple.
In knowing when to quit, we allow ourselves to learn from our mistakes and failures, just as I have always said one should do, and it teaches us to trim away the distractions.
For example, if I think that I can be a great artist and I spend all my time painting crap, then I am chasing after an empty dream where had I not been distracted by such an unrealistic goal, I could have turned my energies toward a more obtainable goal and achieved success.
So when I say, know when to quit, I am not endorsing a defeatist approach to life's opportunities and challenges. I am endorsing a realistic approach to life's opportunities and challenges. Each and everyone of us can do something grand, but none of us can do everything grand.
Know yourself, know your strengths and know your weaknesses. And most of all know when to cut your losses. If you have invested 100% effort to the task at hand and are not receiving a balanced return on your investment, you need to cut your losses and move on. But only after you have invested 100%.
For those of you thinking I have just given you a green light to quit anything and everything that might be making your life uncomfortable, not so fast. This is not a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card or an excuse to quit something you just don't want to do. No, no. It needs to go through the Tommy Filter.
Answer these questions (and for God's sake, be honest);
Do I want to quit because I am not getting a proper return on my investment?
Do I want to quit because I am lazy?
That's it. Two questions. Answer them truthfully and you might be surprised to find out that the things you need to quit are not the things you want to quit and the things you want to quit are not the things you need to quit.
Let me offer this final thought on the matter; when quitting is an attitude it's a bad thing. When quitting is a necessity, it is a good thing. Learn to recognize the difference and you will find yourself more likely to succeed in your ventures.