Never give up

It’s hard not to give up and give in when something you want eludes you. Maybe you didn’t want it that bad after all, maybe a substitute will suffice but maybe there’s still a small voice whispering, I still want it. How can you amplify this voice and continue to go for what you want and never give up. I remember a wise band called The Zits had an inspirational song about this; “Everybody wants something they’ll never give up. Everybody wants something, they’ll take your money, and never give up” (Degrassi Junior High 4 lyf). 

For some, or maybe many, reasons, getting my driver’s license was something that eluded me. I missed the teenage boat on this and then subsequently many more boats. I relied on lifts from friends and I made friends with public transport. Driving became something everyone else did but that I felt I couldn’t do. I felt like I was missing the driving-chip in my brain but every year on my New Year’s resolution list I would write; get hot body, get hot boyfriend and get license. One day, I decided to take action (the hot body was obviously a given, any minute now for the hot boyfriend surely). I had had enough of train replacement buses and playing sardines on the tram and trudging 5 miles in the snow barefoot to work every day. I was an adult God damn it and an adult who was gonna get me some L plates.

I started slow. Very slow. 10k in the backstreets slow with an instructor who was initially patient but after I didn’t pass my test after a year of lessons dumped me saying, ‘I don’t know why you can’t get this’. I didn’t know either and thought again, ‘maybe driving isn’t for me. Maybe buses and occasionally an Uber are my destiny’. But the little voice whispered again, ‘just keep swimming’. I found a new instructor, a wonderful one who was kind, funny and patient and believed in me! Bless you and your poker face Carmel at Carsie’s driving school. Tough love and me are not friends but encouragement and me are BFFs!

I slowly gained confidence over 2 more years of lessons and went for my test and …failed. And after a pep talk from myself and Carmel, I managed to pick myself up again to have more lessons and then went for my test and …failed. I swear I’m not that bad a driver. It’s just a very unnatural and nerve racking situation. Driving with an orange vested assessor in the backseat with a clipboard into the wilds around the Bundoora Vic Roads. I was discouraged but thought that I can’t have come this far to give up so… fourth time was a charm. I passed!

I was so happy and still feel #blessed driving around (very safely and gracefully of course) in my little red car called Grace. I’m so glad I never gave up on this one especially on rainy cold mornings! What’s your big goal? Just keep swimming and never give up. Make like Beyonce and sing: I see it. I want it. I dream it, I work hard, I grind ’til I own it.

 Love and light and P-plates rule! xxx Yvette