Perseverance (DEFINITION SERIES PART 3)

per·se·ver·ance

[pur-suh-veer-uhns]

–noun

1.

steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state,etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

2.

Theology . continuance in a state of grace to the end,leading to eternal salvation.

"If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward." - Thomas Edison

     On the night of my birthday I had one of the most interesting and motivational talks I have had in recent history. The conversation was with a friend of a friend. We began by talking about trivial junk all young adults talk about like work and school. Then the conversation took an interesting turn. He began talking to me about his struggles, triumphs, fears, and tribulations he has faced in life. This person is only 27 but has faced many obstacles most people never face in their lives. We ended up talking for a long time. From all the thoughts and ideologies exchanged, I learned a very valuable lesson in perseverance. Here are a few things we talked about that night.

     On our path to achieving our dreams, we will undoubtedly run into obstacles which will test our desire for those goals, AND, most importantly, teach us important lessons about ourselves as well. Perseverance is staying with a task and not giving up, being patient and willing to work hard, showing commitment and pride in completing tasks. It is being in a race and when you are near the end and struggling to finish, you find that burst of energy to cross the finish line. It is always finishing what you started and NEVER giving up when things get tough. It is trying something again, even if you failed the first time. 

     Perseverance is one critical element we need in order to succeed. Many people who are not successful are usually intelligent people who gave up too soon. They possibly could have had an idea that would change the world but because of their lack of perseverance, their dreams never came to fruition.


Lack of perseverance can also lead to the loss of interest in dreams. People who keep getting shot down repeatedly begin to doubt themselves, their dreams, and their abilities. These dreams that once kept them awake at night eventually become just a thought of the past. Their passion and desire for this dream just vanished into thin air. Eventually, years later, they will be sitting at home wondering to themselves "Why did I ever stop chasing that dream?"


Developing perseverance is not as difficult a task as most might believe. Here are a few tips for developing perseverance:

1. Follow your dreams and continue to repeat these actions day in and day out until the end when you begin to see results.
2. Ask yourself: "What do I want? What are my dreams?" Knowing what you want in life is a huge motivator. When things do not work at as planned, step back, and try it again. DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED. Let the failure fuel your drive and desire.
3. Visualize your goal manifesting itself into reality. Knowing you are that much closer to making it a reality will be a huge when overcoming failures.
4. Lastly, have faith and do not quit no matter what. Sometimes when we do not get what we wanted, we allow the negativity to blind us and blur our dreams. Always try and think about whats next rather than thinking if this was a good idea or not. Act as if it were impossible to fail.

I reiterate, never give up and always keep going no matter what. All your dreams can come true if you have the perseverance to pursue them. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes and the one I live my life by.

"I have failed over and over in my life, and that is why I succeed."

 - Michael Jordan