Hang In and Hang On

This week we focused a lot of our discussion on quitting. Is it okay to quit? Why or why not? The book The Dip says it's okay to quit. Elder Holland, an apostle of Jesus Christ says its not okay to quit. Who's right?
In my opinion, I believe they are both right. Honestly, I think they would agree with each other as well. The Dip is saying that if we aren't progressing, then we have to stop what we are doing and find a better route that will enable us to grow and succeed. Elder Holland is saying don't give up just because the times are hard and it is difficult to pick out the silver lining in the situation. Depending on the situation and the circumstances, it is important to know when it is good to quit and when it is essential we hang in and hang on.
For example, when I was growing up I played three main sports; basketball, baseball, and football. In Jr. High I was the quarterback on the offensive team and the safety on the defensive team. There were a lot of big guys that tackled me, and there also was a lot of big guys I would face and tackle as well. It didn't matter if you were big or small, the way I understood it was that if you have the football you should be tackled. My dad saw that I had no fear and that I would go up against bigger guys without hesitating. He knew that injuries were common in that sport, so he didn't let me play in High School; I had to quit playing football. In his mind, he didn't want me to ruin my chances of playing basketball and baseball, nor did he want me to have bad knees, a bad back, or a bad head when I was older. I quit playing football so that I could succeed in other areas of life and avoid some dangers as well.
I also played basketball in Highs School. There was a lot of politics involved and for a kid in my situation, it would have made sense to just quit and give up, but I didn't. This was a different situation compared to the football experience I had. In this case, I was faced with a proposition. I could give up because I didn't completely agree with my coaches, a couple of the kids didn't want me as a captain, some of the parents didn't like me because of my religion, and I wouldn't participate in some of the religious beliefs the other players were participating in before basketball games. Or I could continue to play, learn what I really believed in, establish standards that enabled me to not give in to peer pressure, grow mentally and emotionally while fighting through the contention of parents and teammates, and develop a leadership mentality that would allow me to lead others in future days.
See the difference? In both situations I either quit or didn't quit because I wanted and needed to grow and continue to develop. So, in conclusion I believe that you have to think things through. Sometimes it will be obvious to quit and do something else that is more meaningful. Other times it will be hard to decipher whether it is better to quit or just hang in and hang on. You decide, but remember to think of how it will benefit you and those around you. Can you come on a better person? Will you grow and develop physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually? Think of what the consequences could be and start your decision making from there. Everything will work out in the end.