All About You — Day 29: Always Go Back to the Drawing Board
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[For “Day 28: Never, Never, Never Give Up!,” click here.]
As already stressed, never giving up does not mean repeating the same old mistakes or sticking to a plan that obviously isn’t working. The problem isn’t your dream; it’s your plan.
Never give up your dream! Just ditch the plan for a better one. In fact, that’s what’s meant by “live to fight another day.” Also known as “go back to the drawing board.” I’ll add just one word to that last saying: “Always go back to the drawing board.”
While growing up, I watched a lot of Warner Bros. cartoons on TV. My least favorite were the Roadrunner and Tweety Bird ones. But, I endured them to catch all of my favorites, which were pretty much all of the Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Foghorn Leghorn ones. (Hmm, those very well could have been the seeds that planted my love for witty, sarcastic dialogue!)
But, one important lesson I learned from all of them is when your first plan—or second, or third, ad infinitum—doesn’t succeed, you don’t quit. You just go back to the drawing board. You always go back to the drawing board. In other words, you never give up! You just keep tweaking your plan till you get to your desired result.
ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
Here is a YouTube video starring the Roadrunner and his arch-nemesis the Coyote. It’s called “Lickety-Splat” and demonstrates the age old battle between predator and prey to hunt, on the one hand, and to avoid capture, on the other, each doing their very best to survive long enough to live—and fight—another day. The Coyote always goes back to his mental drawing board, and he never, ever, ever gives up!
Here is one starring Bugs Bunny and his on-again-off-again friend Daffy Duck in “The Million Hare.” (I think this one teaches interesting lessons about friends and “frenemies” as well.) Though Bugs and Daffy give it their all, no matter what, all the way to the finish line, Daffy ends up acting like an ass at the very last minute:
How’s that for a lesson in never giving up—seriously!—or, “it ain’t over till it’s over!”
TO BE CONTINUED …
This is going to be an adventurous journey into our past, present, and future lives. None of us can be prepared for what we might find along the way. So, just sit back and enjoy the ride! Also, I hope at least some of you brave souls will share your answers, insights, and revelations in the comments below for everyone’s benefit!
When you’re done, collect your answers and keep them in a safe place. I recommend a diary. It makes a precious gift to someone you love, especially you!
[For “Day 30: The Journey Is the Destination,” click here.]
[For entire “All About You!” series, click here.]
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[For “Holiday Fun with ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,’” click here.]
[For “Holiday Fun with Heat Miser and Snow Miser,” click here.]
[For all posts from the “Schoolhouse Rock” category, click here.]
[For all posts from the “Animation” category, click here.]
[For “How to Set and Achieve Goals in 5 Simple Steps,” click here.]
[For “What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Fail?,” click here.]
[For “50 Negative v. Positive Thoughts,” click here.]
[For “10 Harmful Thoughts,” click here.]
[For “10 Reasons to Keep a Diary,” click here.]
[For “20 Questions for Your Diary,” click here.]
[For “Requests for Cuckoo in Your Nest!,” click here.]
[For “How to Be an Extrovert,” click here.]
[For “My 10 Commandments,” click here.]
[For “Fan Your Inner Flame Till It Burns Bright,” click here.]
[For “Think and Grow Rich,” click here.]
[For “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” click here.]
