Don't Give Up

Coming soon. A new book by Jonathan Anthony Burkett is on its way.

Jonathan Anthony Burkett had every reason to quit. He was told, in words and in silence, that he had no future. At fourteen he was sleeping in cars and parks, fighting seizures. When he went into brain surgery on January 30, 2006, he was not sure he wanted to wake up. A hospital worker named Marise supported him, and when he woke up, he made a decision that changed everything: he would not give up.

Don't Give Up is that decision, opened up for anyone who is holding on by a thread. Jonathan writes about the thoughts that say quit and what to do when they get loud, the one person who can be enough, faith on the days you cannot feel it, starting over without shame, and the long middle where nobody is clapping. From a boy no one expected to make it to an author, music artist and entrepreneur, his life is proof that the chapter you are in is not the whole book.

Inspired by his song "Don't Give Up," this book ends with a letter to the reader who needs it most, and a list of places to find help right now.

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Quotes from Don't Give Up

“Stay because your story is not finished, and the chapter you are in is not the whole book.”

“Every breath you take is proof that the story is still being written. Every morning you wake up is a new page you did not have yesterday.”

“What hope did was keep me from staying down. Every time I fell, the decision I had made was still there, waiting for me to pick it back up.”

“A breath is the smallest unit of staying alive.”

“You can walk away from a bad situation and still be holding on to yourself. In fact, sometimes walking away is how you hold on.”

“But loud is not the same as true.”

“Your future is not something that was decided for you when you were a child.”

“But when you are holding on by a thread, small things are what the thread is made of.”

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If you are struggling, you do not have to wait. In the US, call or text 988 any time to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you are in danger, call 911.