How many times have you found yourself giving up on your big goals? And I’m not talking about the run-of-the-mill goals that kind of get you turned up a notch or two every once in a while. No, not even close. What I’m talking about are the super exciting, heart pumping, get you going a mile a minute kind of goals that you have pictured yourself attaining at least a thousand times in your mind. These are the goals that bring out your very best; igniting that passion for living that brilliantly burns deep inside your heart and soul.

How many times have you thought to yourself that you’ll never make your dreams come true, that living out your fondest wishes just wasn’t in the cards? On how many occasions have you threw up your hands and gave up, coming to the sobering conclusion that there was no longer a chance?

How, let’s be honest here. Did you really believe that your dreams were dead and gone or were you simply upset or frustrated that you had not achieved your goals as quickly as you had hoped? Were you really ready to give up on your dreams or were you basically sick and tired of waging what seemed to be a constant uphill battle? More likely than not, you gave in to the temptation to give up, never giving your goals your very best shot.

And yet these lifelong dreams still stir you from within — burning and yearning for the opportunity to give it another go, to take another shot. Why? Because your dreams have never given up on you! These goals, those that you hold close to your heart, are what you are all about. They define you, they inspire you, they give you hope. And as long as you can keep hope alive, there is always a chance to make your dreams come true. ALWAYS! And a chance is all you will ever need, right?

By the way, when did tossing in the towel ever make anyone’s dreams can true? The answer is short and sweet — never. While no one ever said that the ladder to success was an easy ascent, getting where you have always envisioned yourself going is not nearly as difficult as we sometimes make it.

The primary reason so many people fail to achieve the really big goals of life is that these goals are really BIG. It’s as if they are standing at the bottom of an enormous mountain, peering skyward at the mammoth task before them.

The mountain is too steep they tell themselves, the summit too high. Rather than focusing on the first few steps they need to take to start their ascent of the mountain, they stand frozen — as if paralyzed by the enormity of the mountain itself.

Rather than tackling the mountain by taking that first step and then the next, they turn tail and slink away. And in doing so, they ultimately end up feeling empty, let down, unfulfilled; as if a part of them has been taken away. In their moments alone, they silently wish they had taken on the mountain and given it a go. If they would simply realize that it is never too late to take a chance a making their dreams come alive. After all, every chance taken is yet another chance to win.

Regardless of how many times you have given up in the past, there is no limit on the number of second chances that await you. Each new day brings new chances to begin again, fresh opportunities to give life another whirl. A chance to throw caution to the wind and roll the dice for all you’re worth. A chance to cast aside the safety net and bravely leap into the unknown just beyond your reach, an opening to light up your life by taking a chance worth taking — a chance on yourself.

Instead of holding back, you need to let go once and for all and take those chances you’ve always wanted to take. Why let the life you long to live pass you by when you can reach out and live it today by taking those chances that desperately need to be taken? Since they are there for the taking, shouldn’t you take them — and take them right now?

The late Coach Jim Valvano probably provided the best advice when he said, “Never, ever give up.” Wow, what a powerful sentence! By adopting Coach Valvano’s refuse to lose attitude, steadfastly refusing to give up on yourself, your God given gifts and your dreams, you start paving the pathway to the fulfillment of your fondest dreams. By consistently showing the willpower to take some chances — and keep taking them every single day from here on out — you’ll be absolutely amazed at just how quickly your life is going to take off!

Don't give up on making your life everything you've imagined it could be. Don't give up on unlocking the enormous potential stored inside of you. And for goodness sake; never, ever give up on becoming the best you were born to be.