Don’t you dare quit!

would go round a few blocks and get back home in time to prepare for church. So I Ieft and went for a brisk walk.
I was happy I did, because it was very refreshing and good to be out there enjoying the tranquility, fresh air and morning breeze.
About a few metres down from my house I felt my muscles aching as they resisted being taken out of the comfort zone. At some point I felt like going back home but I soldiered on because I knew that this was the right thing to do.
As I persevered it became enjoyable and I felt a strong urge to do even more. I exerted myself more and went further than I had planned. It felt good.
During the last lap of my morning exercise I began to experience a different kind of pain from the first one.
This time it was some “sweet pain” because it was a combination of tiredness and goodness from improved circulation of blood.
This time out alone gave me an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of some homes and nature, to meditate and also to think about various issues.
As I walked past some houses I was greeted by barking dogs. At one time I met up with a dog and felt some chills run down my spine for fear of being attacked.
Confidently I walked past the dog, occasionally casting glances at it to make sure it was not charging at me.
My experiences that morning made me draw some similarities between this walk and our everyday walk in life.
The dogs on my way reminded me of what one preacher said about hurdles that come to discourage us from moving on with life.
He gave the example of dogs that bark at people and even chase after cars. He called them “imbwa dzemuraini” (dogs from the neighbourhood).
He said that these dogs are of no consequence because their effort is not sustained.
I think, dear reader, you know that these dogs bark at and follow the target only for a little while.
What I have noticed is that they chase anything even big trucks.
They have no specific target at all, so giving them attention is only an energy leak.
They turn back when the target appears unnerved about them.
It is therefore unwise to stop and fight back or to turn and go back to where you are coming from.
The best thing to do is to keep moving.
In life we face situations that are threatening but if we continue to move on and not quit we get to our destination.
Sometimes we struggle with some things in our lives such as a habit. We can choose to either do something about it or sit back and continue to struggle, mourn and complain.
I have seen people make noble efforts to kick off a habit such as smoking.
Some succeed, others fail. In my view the desire to change for the better is often there.
Considering that nothing is cast in stone means that our lives can be changed for the better. Often we know what needs to be done. The problem, however, is that some people quit too soon. 
Sometimes we quit and stop dreaming at all because things seem hopeless and at times it is half way down the line. I like the scripture in Ecclesiastes 11 verse 4 which says “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.”
It is always important to see things that we start to their logical conclusion.
The secret is in doing what needs to be done. Low marks in school call for more effort and cutting down on other activities.
Broken relationships require that we commit and work to build bridges. Our lives have their fair share of pains and discomforts. Dear reader, know that transforming our lives means that we have to move out of the comfort zone. There is an adage that says no pain no gain.
The pain should teach us to persevere and as scriptures say, it should produce character.
The world says when the going gets tough the tough gets going. So pain and discomfort in the process of working out something good brings out what we are made of.
The pain of today cannot be compared with the glory to come. So don’t quit on the way you, will overcome.
Difficult periods in our lives afford opportunities for growth. I recall a song by Labi Siffre with the lyrics:
“The higher you build your barriers
“The taller I become
“The further you take my rights away
“The faster I will run
“You can’t deny me . . .
“Something inside so strong…”
To change a habit or study for that programme that you have always wanted entails determination. Good and enduring things are not handed down on a silver platter. It requires will power, hard work and resilience. 
There should be some driving force within you to climb mountains and cross rivers.
You need the energy that stirs or keeps the ship on course even in stormy waters. What I know for certain is that God knows our desires and he recognises effort so he certainly enables us to scale on heights.