If You Want Something, You Have to Go Get It
- Michael Bellamy
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
There’s a simple truth that never goes out of style: if you want something, you have to go get it. Wishing, hoping, and talking are not substitutes for action. Advancement, achievement, and success all require pursuit. And the moment you commit to pursuing something meaningful, resistance shows up.
Many times, the journey starts strong. Momentum builds. Progress feels natural. Then—without warning—you hit a wall.
That wall is where many people turn back.
But that wall is not a signal to quit. It’s a test of perseverance.
When Progress Slows, Persistence Matters More
Challenges don’t mean you’re doing something wrong. Often, they mean you’re doing something worth doing. Growth has friction. Pressure exposes commitment. The key is to keep going when it would be easier to stop.
Perseverance and stamina aren’t optional traits; they are the price of admission. When things feel almost lost, that’s usually when character is being forged. If you can reframe challenges as opportunities to grow stronger rather than signs of failure, you’ll outlast most people.
And outlasting is often the difference between success and regret.
A Business Turnaround: Apple Inc.
In the late 1990s, Apple was on the brink of collapse. Market share was shrinking. Competitors were dominant. Analysts openly predicted bankruptcy. It looked like the end.
Then Steve Jobs returned.
Instead of chasing every trend, Apple refocused. Products were simplified. Innovation was sharpened. Risk was embraced. The turnaround didn’t happen overnight, but perseverance, clarity of vision, and relentless execution transformed Apple from a near-failure into one of the most valuable companies in the world.
When all seemed lost, Apple didn’t quit—it refined.
A Personal Turnaround: Colonel Harland Sanders
Before the world knew him as Colonel Sanders, he was a man in his 60s with little money and a rejected idea. His fried chicken recipe was turned down over a thousand times by restaurants that didn’t see its value.
Most people would have stopped.
He didn’t.
He kept knocking. Kept pitching. Kept believing. That persistence eventually became KFC—a global brand born not from luck, but from refusal to give up when the odds said “enough.”
Ancient Wisdom: Abraham and the Rescue of Lot
Long before modern business case studies, Scripture gave us enduring principles.
In Genesis 14, Abraham learns that his nephew Lot has been taken captive after a coalition of kings overran Sodom. Abraham wasn’t a king. He wasn’t backed by an empire. He was a private individual with trained servants—mercenaries, by today’s language.
Yet he went anyway.
Against nations. Against overwhelming odds. Abraham pursued, fought, and rescued Lot. He achieved his goal through courage, strategy, and conviction.
After the victory, the king of Sodom offered Abraham wealth and rewards. Abraham refused.
He would not allow anyone to say they made him rich.
That decision matters.
Abraham understood something many have forgotten: no one should get credit for what you worked hard to achieve. While help is necessary, dependency is dangerous when it compromises integrity. Accept assistance—but never surrender ownership of your purpose.
Principles That Build Character and Morale
These principles aren’t trendy. They aren’t flashy. But they have endured for ages:
Persevere when it’s uncomfortable
Own your victories because you earned them
Value character over shortcuts
Accept help wisely, never blindly
Refuse arrangements that create future leverage over your life
Modern ideals often promise speed and ease, but they haven’t been tested by time. Principles endure because they work—long term.
On the Other Side of the Wall
When you finally break through—when you make it to the other side—you’ll appreciate your achievements more because they didn’t come easy. You’ll know the cost. You’ll own the outcome.
Your victory will mean something.
You will be able to say, with confidence, I didn’t give up.
And that is success.
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