Some successful people have vision. Others have strategy. Some have genius level intelligence. Some are just smart. Some success stories include "good luck". Others successful achievers are great strategic planners and goal setters. Some individuals just grind it out and achieve success through hard work. But the single most common factor of successful achievers is that they share the quality of persistence. Persistence has been identified as the single most important factor leading to success and achievement of one's goals. There are countless stories of individuals who have been challenged at every step and every turn, yet succeeded because they didn't give up. It is often true that the difference between achievement and failure is that the achiever took one more step, turned one more corner, or tried one more time. How sad that some people will never know if they were inches or moments away from achieving their goal because they withdrew from the race. It is said that Thomas Edison failed with over 2,000 experiments before finally inventing the incandescent light bulb. During World War II Winston Churchill's commitment to succeed was reflected in his famous and historic statement of persistence: "We will never, never, ever give up!" Whatever your goal, whatever your dream you owe it to yourself to pursue it with a full commitment to persist until your dream is realized. Although we live in a society where it often seems too easy to quit it is essential to our self esteem and to our own individual character that we persist. Persist toward your dream job. Persist toward your dream car. Persist toward your dream relationship or the love of your life. Persist in achieving good health. Persist in your faith and your spirituality. If there is one trait to embrace and build as a character strength within yourself it is PERSISTENCE. Persist and achieve your dreams.
2 comments:
Quite rightly many successfully persistent people have vision, strategy and genius level intelligence but this surprises no one and is even a little boring. Others demonstrate persistence by being a dating machine! Too bad we are not talking about me but my new best friend, Sivan. At our last meeting over lunch, she told me with great enthusiasm that she was becoming a dating machine in her efforts to find Mr. Right, the guy who has the "whole package". Sivan, I am certain, will take that further step, uncover that hidden stone, and not give up in her quest to "cast and star in her version of The Bachelorette" until she finds "the one".
Before we venture farther, I offer a brief description of Sivan for our male readers:
Medium height/build
Long dark hair
Young, nubile flesh
Dark flashing eyes
Vibrant personality
Never has bad sex
Whereas Sivan is a dating machine, I am only a dancing machine but in true best friend format, she doesn't make me feel less worthy with a believably sincere "you look good today" or a caring "you have a spot of sauce on your chin". She makes clear that she has my interests at heart and informs that she “has me in her radar” as I am “in her file cabinet”, as she points to her head. Indeed, I think that my dating woes will be over as Sivan is now in my corner, scouting out my perfect match in her off hours. What's more, I trust her implicitly as she knows instinctively that I need a guy who will offer me the occasional piece of unique jewelry from Bergdorf’s. We have these outrageously funny conversations in public about our requirements in men, taking place usually in the very male dominated Italian venue of Cipriani's lunch spot. Two things we decide over lunch that are non-negotiable: primal passion & fab abs!
One time over lunch I get to vet her current guy from Match who comes by for coffee. His potential is limited as he lives in Queens, an outer borough, and what's more, it's possible that he drinks too much. His quotient for being kicked to the curb is rising. What is so empowering is that I find myself giving her dating advice (who knew all that I knew.....) and I'm a veritable dating genius! Everything I say is on target and works for her. The next time we meet she arrives breathless and without preamble, proceeds to solicit feedback from me about the appropriateness of her outfit, a fitted black knit dress, thigh-high, accessorized with a wide belt, military style bolero jacket and much skin. For about 30 seconds longer than normal, she considers changing right at our table into the opaque tights she has just bought to provide leg coverage. Thank God we aren't eating "al banco" that day and I've been able to snag a table with some privacy in that fishbowl of a space. As we are surrounded by Italian men not unlike Berlusconi, I convince her that "skin is good".
cont'd
What I like about Sivan is her enthusiasm, her breathless way to enter the premises, yet breathe life into the moment. It's never been easy for me to be friends with women and since I don't want to be friends with men, that limiits my circle to gay men or lesbians or the odd woman who is confident in her own skin. I am thankful for Sivan's friendship which complements me while I wait to find my Italian boyfriend. From personal experience I can say that women don't always make the best friends. A "good friend" of 20+ years told me at a particularly fragile moment of my life that she "would be as thin as me if she were as unhappy as me". At the time, as I was driving a car, all I could do was cry inside. Today I would have turned to her and said "What the f--k did you just say to me?" Now, years later, I can't wait to not invite her to my Italian boyfriend's Tuscan villa when that time comes. Women who lack confidence also lack the ability to be generous with other women, seeing them as competition. Together Sivan & I have the potential to be great friends.
It is indeed laudable to be persistent and it is not unusual that we would wish to own this attribute. I'd like to add further that what is very special is to find those who can demonstrate persistence coupled with enthusiasm, not plodding dully through the motions just to get it done or to the other end. Those who make the process come alive and be joyous are the keepers - as friends and lovers.
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