McCain 2008Republican Presidential John McCain is behind Democrat Barack Obama in the polls.

Is anyone hearing this news for the first time?

Just do a quick search for “John McCain polls,” and you’ll get dozens of news stories with the same headlines. Do another search for “Republican grumbling,” and you’ll find stories about rumors that the GOP would rather John McCain stop worrying about that silly presidency thing and simply concentrate on trying to help other Republicans retain their offices in Congress.

But, here’s why we should love him: as far as I can tell, John McCain is not conceding anything. He has decided to keep fighting, just like he did in July of 2007, when his campaign’s budget disappeared and his staff was a mess. Though the polls are against him and his party is losing faith, McCain still believes he can come out on top.

In this time of uncertainty, how’s your faith? Are you starting to feel defeated about something in your business? Your life? Do you feel like giving up?

I’ve run something like 8 races this year, and 3 of them were crappy. The crappy ones had one thing in common… somewhere along the route, I gave up. I saw hills in front of me and felt defeated. I looked at the mile markers and lost my faith. And I finished weakly, disappointed with my time and my spirit.

To tell the truth, I’m feeling that way about my business right now. I’m sad, sad, sad about my family troubles; I’m worried about the economy, even though my business hasn’t actually suffered; I’m facing 40 and looking both back and ahead, uneasy about what my life goals are and whether I’m fulfilling them. I’m climbing a hill, out of breath, tired, facing negative thoughts. It’s so much easier to just give up.

But, seriously, I’m inspired by John McCain. I haven’t seen one sign that he’s tired of his uphill battle. I see that he truly believes he can win this race, and he’s going to keep trying to the end. And that makes me remember my other 5 races this year — the ones where I had hope and strength and positive thoughts about finishing strong. And each of those races was better than the previous, and I set personal records each time I got out there with the right attitude.

So, no matter your politics, think a few moments about John McCain or any other person you know who just keeps going. Perhaps that will help you persevere.