(By Rick Fink) When you read the title Chin Up, one of two thoughts probably crossed your mind. Either, a chin-up, as in doing an exercise, or, “keep your chin up,” as you’re in a bad mood and need positivity to get yourself to a better place.
The first known use of the expression “keep your chin up,” at least according to a Google search, came from an October 1900 edition of the Pennsylvania newspaper The Evening Democrat. “Keep your chin up. Don’t take your troubles to bed with you – hang them on a chair with your trousers or drop them in a glass of water with your teeth.”
Today, the expression is more widely used to encourage someone not to give up or give in and maintain their positivity despite a difficult situation.
Chin-up in the form of exercise is one of the most demanding exercises. A chin-up, the opposite of a pull-up, is when you grab behind the bar above your head, palms facing your body, and lift yourself until your “chin” is over the bar. When doing this exercise, lifting, or stretching your chin upward makes completing it easier.
Keeping your chin up in your daily life has a whole new meaning. As a media rep or a manager, the chances are high that you have lost a medium or major account in the last 6 months. If not, chances are even higher that it’ll happen in the next 6 months. This is never a fun experience but it’s part of our crazy business.
When this happens, especially unexpectedly, it hurts. For many, when it does happen, we become disappointed, even depressed, and… your chin drops. The longer our chin stays down, the more disappointed and depressed we get.
The solution? Get your chin up!
This was a long story for a short but powerful lesson. In our business, disappointment happens; the quicker you get your chin up, the better off you’ll be.
Whether doing pull-ups, chin-ups, or having a setback in life or business, keep your chin up and everything will be easier and better!
Rick Fink from ENS Media can be reached at 605-310-2062 or at [email protected]. Read Rick’s Radio Ink archives here.
