Good morning!

I hope this finds you well.

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

The newsletter with the goal to inspire you to invest in life experiences.

Thank you for your continued support.

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This past weekend, I decided to spend a few days in my RV despite the frigid temperatures.

When I woke up Sunday morning, it was –4°F outside, ice had formed on the inside of my windows, and the propane tank (my primary source of heat) was nearly empty.

I was frustrated, discouraged, and honestly ready to pack everything up and head home.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I decided to stay a little longer and try something different. 

And I’m glad I did, because what happened next reminded me of a lesson that reaches far beyond camping.

My RV is designed for off-grid travel. Two solar panels charge a bank of lithium batteries that power everything inside: the refrigerator, lighting, microwave, and other essentials. Normally, I rely on propane for heat and a full tank typically lasts about three days. 

But extreme cold changes the equation.

The heater runs more frequently, consuming far more propane than usual.

This winter created another complication.

Snow.

Snow had covered the solar panels, preventing the batteries from charging effectively.

To compensate, I plugged into an external power source at the campsite.

Since electricity is available, a few weeks ago I decided to experiment with using the electric heat the RV can provide instead of propane, something I had never seriously tried before.

I spent some time tinkering with the system and figured out how to make it work. 

But when I arrived Saturday morning and turned it on, nothing seemed to happen. I didn’t hear the familiar “whoosh” of the heater cycling on and off. Assuming the electric heat wasn’t functioning properly, I switched back to propane and let it run overnight.

By Sunday morning, the propane tank was almost empty.

That was the moment I nearly gave up and went home.

Instead, I decided to try the electric heat one more time. I turned off the propane, set the system again, and told myself I would wait a bit. If it didn’t work, I would pack up and leave.

An hour later, the RV was warmer.

Soon after, it reached a toasty 75 degrees inside.

The system had been working all along.

The reason I thought it wasn’t working was simple: electric heat runs almost silently, unlike propane heat, which produces a noticeable sound when it cycles on.

Because I didn’t hear anything, I assumed nothing was happening.

That quiet warmth allowed me to stay the rest of the weekend, enjoying the solitude, stillness, and serenity of spending time in nature in winter.

More importantly, it reminded me of something I think many of us forget.

The Lesson

This experience reminded me of something one of my favorite mentors in the U.S. Army once told me.

One night, while we were in Africa sitting outside enjoying a beer, he said something that has stayed with me ever since:

“All you have to do to win…” he said, pausing to take a sip of his beer, “…is not give up.”

It sounds almost too simple. 

But the longer you think about it, the more you’ll realize how true it is.

Most people give up not because they are incapable, unprepared, or unlucky. 

They give up because they are not patient in moments when nothing seems to be happening.

This past Sunday, I was minutes away from packing up and leaving, convinced the electric heating system in my RV wasn’t working.

The only difference between leaving frustrated and staying in a warm RV was one decision: trying one more time instead of giving up.

What’s the Point of All This?

The point is to emphasize that many of the things that may move your life forward take longer than you expect. 

Progress is rarely immediate. Solutions rarely appear the first time you try them. And growth almost always requires patience in moments when nothing seems to be happening.

Careers, financial goals, fitness, creative projects, relationships, and personal change all share the same pattern: there comes a point when things feel difficult, uncertain, or discouraging.

That moment is where most people step away. 

Not because success wasn’t possible, but because they assumed the effort wasn’t working.

Sometimes the advantage does not belong to the most talented person, the smartest person, or the most experienced person. 

Often, the advantage belongs to the person who simply stays long enough to figure it out.

And not give up.

The Final Takeaway

You do not always need a better strategy, more motivation, or perfect conditions to move forward.

Sometimes the most powerful action you can take is to stay in the process just a little longer than you feel like staying.

Because more often than we realize, the breakthrough is on the other side of persistence.

As my mentor said years ago, the rule is simple:

All you have to do to win…is not give up.

Quote that caught my attention:

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

―Thomas Edison

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