For those of you unfamiliar with the show, Naruto is a ninja orphan, shunned since birth. He's determined to make the village to notice him, even proclaiming loudly that he will be the next Hokage -- the greatest ninja in the village.
Everyone laughs because it's ridiculous. Naruto is loud, foolish, and pays zero attention. He fails most tests, and when he does pass, it's by some fluke. How could he possibly be a ninja, let alone the Hokage?
But throughout the series, Naruto has one thing nobody else has: he never gives up.
He takes on the guys no one else will. He protects the people everyone else gives up on. When two ninjas knock each other out simultaneously, Naruto is always the guy who gets up first.
He fails a lot, but he succeeds at things others think are impossible. Because he is motivated more than almost anyone else, and because of all his failures, he grows faster than most. By the time he's succeeding more than failing, he's defeating opponents even his teachers couldn't beat.
And from the beginning, even when he fails, he inspires others. People better than him who quit sooner. People weaker than him, who find a strength they didn't know they had to get up one more time.
I know, I know. It's just a frigging cartoon, right? Naruto isn't even one of my favorite characters (though he's becoming so). But man, if I could do this every time I get a story rejected? Or every time I fail at ANYTHING?
Yeah. I want that.
I have this. It's called being stubborn to a fault. And I love Naruto. Rise of a Ninja was one of the best video games ever. I don't read the manga, but I do watch the show. Which reminds me, I really need to catch up on Shippuden.
ReplyDeleteOk, I might have to watch this. (I think my kids already do.)
ReplyDeleteAnd you already are Naruto. How else could you do the things that you do?
Loved reading this b/c it reminded me first of how much I love Naruto and how he represents all of my hopes in that series, and second because you're right in that this is how we should approach rejection. Never, ever give up <3
ReplyDeleteOh man, do I ever get this. In fact, I posted about it just yesterday. MM is right. It is, to a degree, an inner stubbornness, a level of tenacity. For me, I just don't like when someone says No, you can't.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, one of my followers likened rejection to the agent being full after a Thanksgiving meal. Then someone offers that agent another piece of pie. It's not that the pie isn't good. He's just too full right now. I like that analogy. I hold onto small things like that & keep moving forward. You have nothing to lose & every thing to gain.
This was the first thing you ever told me when I began writing - don't give up. Keep writing. Keep trying. I still remember that advice :). And I hope you never give up too.
ReplyDelete