Digging Deep And Never Giving Up.
Digging deep and never giving up could well be the start of some profound life changing post. Probably not going to happen, so we'll just go with a more diluted one instead.
I was going to talk about networking but then this popped into my head and I'm just going with it. As many (or a few if I've misjudged reader engagement) of you might know, for the last few years I've been buying, fixing (with help) and selling older Jaguars, and a few other 'in between' vehicles.
It's never really been a huge money spinner, more akin to running a 'non-profit' and it took me over a year to get to the point where I had enough capital to buy the next one before I had sold the one I was working on. It was very much 'hand-to-mouth' in the early days. When I did get to those heady heights, my son bought a 'lemon' and I helped fund getting that particular disaster sorted, pretty much setting me back twelve months. Hey ho, that's life and all that. We do what we do.
Looking back, I do wonder what possessed me sometimes. December 2016 I bought a cheap, neglected Jaguar. Not been on the road for a year or more but it ran and was relatively straight for the age. The journey home took four hours instead of one, let's just say it wasn't a happy bunny. 'Ya pays ya money and ya takes ya chances.' Maybe I should have seen the writing on the wall then.
I won't bore you with all the details as much as they might make me reminisce wistfully, for you they might send you to sleep. Needless to say, some work was need to get it back on the road. Some of this I could do myself, the rest I left to those with the know-how. Within a couple of weeks it was all done. Running, repaired and ready to be sold. Yet, it wasn't finished with me just yet. A 'squeak' appeared on the journey home from the garage which turned out to be a seized water pump, no biggy, a mornings work and we're good to go again. I parked it on the drive and moved onto other things for a week.
One week later it was time to move some cars round and get the Jag ready for selling, just a 
clean and vacuum. Went to start it, nothing. Tried again and although the engine was pinning, there was nothing else. Zip, nada, zilch. Now had this happened when it was at the garage, I would have had the luxury of being able to utilize their expertise 'in situ'. As it was, I was on my own, it wasn't moving.
It took me five weeks to isolate the issue. None of the parts for these cars are readily available at your local Autostore. So I had to order a part, wait for it to arrive, fit it, find it still didn't work, rinse and repeat. I still have a box of spares that I accumulated as I was methodically working my way through all the possibles. It turned out to be a corroded 'pin' inside one of the connector plugs that went into the engine management computer. 
I'm not sure what led me to find it, I think I had just run out of alternatives, all avenues had been explored.
More than once I had thought about throwing in the towel. Cutting my loses and running. I had already taken a couple of 'hits' and had I given up, I'm not sure whether I would have had the stomach to carry on. I was pretty naive and inexperienced, an ideal combination to just give up.
Through it all there was plenty of advice. "Yeah the same thing happened to me and it turned out to be ....." or "You should try this, that's what I'd do" All well-meaning and all had the potential of being right.
Nearly four years later and with enough minor catastrophes under my belt to write a book or two, I am no longer phased by such dilemmas. In all honesty, my outlook now is that there is always a solution. Problems are challenges that are there to be overcome.
That said, you only surpass them if you keep trying and never give up. Sometimes you have to dig deep, even when it seems futile and all you want to do is say 'That's it, I've had enough'
Somewhere, there is an answer to your particular problem, you just have to find it and that will only happen if you keep looking.
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Great analogy Twack, you learn as you go and some day you learn the right way to diagnose any problem, be it a mechanical on or one with the reason why your website is not doing what you thought it should.
I did love the story, that is how I learned to be a mechanic.
Thanks for sharing
Ray
You're welcome Ray and thank you for dropping by, I always appreciate your time and thoughtful replies. I have tended to try and stick with one particular model, which has helped over the years. I'd like to say that they don't hold any surprises any more but we both know that wouldn't be true.
Always learning.
I agree Twack, every problem has a solution. It might take a while to find it but it is there somewhere. Every problem solved is a step up the mountainside towards success. Some steps are big and some are small but they all steadily lead us to our goals.
Good post. Loved the bit about the lemon, made me laugh. Parents invariably end up fixing their children's problems, even though they are adults with families of their own.
Thank you Linda, it could have been twice as long but not for here, you'd all be asleep. Honestly, by the time I found the issue, there wasn't really anything left to swap. It did give me an ideal opportunity to learn that particular area of the car.
Onwards and upwards, one step at a time, as you say.
Fortunately they tell us that all these challenges make us better people. Sometimes I would like to see one less challenge. You better write that book soon. Jim
That made me laugh Jim, I agree, one less every now and then would be very much appreciated. I thought I would make a site for the Jags. I have notes going back to 2016 and pictures of all of them over the last four years. Just need to try and make it interesting to read through.
Nice read Twack. I've had my share of "challenges" when if comes to buying and fixing autos.
By far the biggest challenge I've faced though, is this business. I'm fine with the tech stuff, it's the everything else that I struggle with.. lol
However, I will not give up. I will dig deep and keep going.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Michael
You're welcome Michael. I wonder sometimes that we don't actually have to dig that deep, that often. It's more that we just need to keep going. That can sometmies be the hard part.
I love the journey though.
Wow! That would be a seller!
🥰👍
Digging until you find
And hoping you dig at the right place indeed
That would be nice.
I've had some weird 'connections' going on of late. I wrote this this morning. Last night I was tidying up in the kitchen, radio on. I caught the tail end of a speech by someone, they quoted one of their mentors. I didn't catch all of it, just the first line.
I read your reply and then had to go and find yesterdays schedule for the radio station, did so and found the 'program' as I knew what time I was listening to it.
The program was called 'Fore Thought-Digging Deep'....the part of the speech I heard went like this.
'Dig beneath your feet, there you will find a stream.
Sometimes we find ourselves in places where we choose to continue living.
Sometimes we find ourselves in places where we choose to continue digging.'
Love it when this happens. Thank you Fleeky.
This story is a perfect analogy to the process of building a digital business. Unless you are tech minded there is so much to learn and problems to overcome. Many throw in the towel and resign themselves to mediocrity. Those of us who refuse to give up will hopefully one day reach the promised land of success online 😀
"reach the promised land of success online" Yes Dave, I'm all over that line, love it.
When I first got started on the latest Jag acquisition, it was a bit overwhelming. At one point, after just under a week of not managing to get the engine running at all, I think I said something like "What happens when we get it started something else rears its head"
He turned, looked at me and just said "Well, then we'll fix it"
We did.
And if you take the right action. coming to the WA community is a good start not only for you but to many of us, especially me. We all have our own stories behind this chat. But mostimportantly we got tougher by the day and we moved on like Sylvester Stallone Rambo like toughness. I like your narrative, sweet flowing and honest. You have a big future in blogging and in creating your online business. Keep going, Twack! Nice meeting you here.Do you still have your jaguar?
Wow, thank you Florentino, such kind words. I have 'a' Jaguar but not the one in the picture. The one I have currently, may well be a much longer project, not sure yet.
Thank you for a wonderful comment. Be well.
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“If You absorb Persistence You will Destroy Failure.” Tom Short.
“Be inspired so your strength and ambitions in life strengthen your willpower to perform.” Tom Short.
“If you are persistent you will get it. If you are consistent you will keep it.” Tom Short.
Tom.
Some great words here Tom, always appreciated.