Too Quick to Quit…?

One of the most pressing problems concerns the perplexities of young people. The picture and the pattern change so fast for them that they must constantly wonder what they can count on. And so we should like to say something to you who are young in years and who can’t quite seem to settle down in an unsettled situation: Perhaps you cannot now foresee the completion of your plans. Perhaps it seems that the course you had set for yourselves may inevitably be interrupted. We are well aware that it is difficult to settle down amid shifting scenes. But sometimes young people are too quick to quit because of discouragement, because of boredom, because of outside uncertainties, or because of a certain restlessness inside themselves, and often they assume that it will be easier to pursue their preparation in the far future than it would be to take advantage of immediate opportunities. But as the years increase, responsibilities also increase, and the road of learning looks longer. And the needless postponement of our purposes often merely means a piling up of unaccomplished purposes later in life. Unavoidable interruptions may come to any of us or to all of us at any time. But should we let the weeks and the months waste away because the future scene seems somewhat unsettled? Should we quickly quit our constructive pursuits today simply because we think we may have to quit tomorrow, or should we pursue our chosen course as far as we can? Quitting, giving up, should not be a matter of momentary emotion, but a matter for serious consideration for the best time to prepare for later life is at our earliest opportunity. And even in the face of uncertainty would it not seem shortsighted to let the fear that we won’t have time, rob us of the time we have? If we can endure to whatever end we can now see, we may then be able to see some more desirable end to which we can endure. In short, the uncertainties of tomorrow should not mislead us into wasting today.