7 Lessons On

Power Of Perseverance

“Through perseverance the turtle reached the ark.” – Mr. Self Development

No one succeeds without perseverance, it’s perseverance that guides you through the dark nights, and it’s perseverance that gets you through the difficult days.  Perseverance is defined as steady persistence in a course of action, in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. Today I want to discuss seven motivational lessons on perseverance that will inspire you to achieve your dreams.

Lesson 1 : We All Start SmallThe scripture tells us to “despise not the day of small beginnings….though thy beginning be small, thy latter end shall greatly increase.” No matter how large the tree, it was once a tiny seed.  …The oak tree sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg.   Every “somebody” was once a “nobody.”  Your time will come, …if you persistently apply the success principles.

Remember, there was a time when Bill Gates was unheard of; there was a time when Google was just a thought. Right now maybe a time where you’ve not accomplished all that you would like to accomplish, but if you persevere, just as sure as you’re reading these words right now, success will be yours. 

“The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground.”  - Author Unknown

You may not be where you want to be, but you’re closer than you were yesterday.  So don’t get side-tracked by your past mistakes, focus on the journey ahead.  I like what the Apostle Paul said, he said, “I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark...”

Lesson 2 : Just Keep on Walking

“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.” – Buddhist Saying

Perseverance is hard work!  It’s easy to quit, it’s easy to make excuses, it’s easy to justify why you shouldn’t persevere. Sure you will get tired on your journey, take a break, and then persevere....It will be worth it in the end, as the saying goes, “No journey is too great, when one finds what he seeks.”

Lesson 3 : Perseverance is Hard Work

“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.”   - Newt Gingrich

Success requires a long-term commitment, it requires you to finish the race, it requires persistence.William Feather said, “Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go” while Robert Brault said, “Stubbornly persist, and you will find that the limits of your stubbornness go well beyond the stubbornness of your limits,” I think that’s good advice. 

Lesson 4 :  Finish the Race

“The race is not given to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, …but to the one who endureth until the end.” – Common Quote Derived from Biblical References

Create a lifestyle of persevering! I tell people to never fear failure, fear being comfortable.  When you’re comfortable you’re not growing, and when you’re not growing, you’re dying. Stretch your limits; persevere from one goal to another. Be persistently persistent, “There’s no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream.”

Lesson 5 : You have to Persistently Persevere

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.”  – Walter Elliott

Perseverance is requisite for success!  Every success story is a story of perseverance.  If you succeed, it will be because you persevered in the face of seeming impossibilities.  It will be because you learned from your problems; you didn’t let them stop you. 

Lesson 6 : It’s Darkest Before Dawn

Robert Schuller says, “Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.” Your problems show you where you need to improve, they show you what you should focus on; you should thank God for your problems.

Don’t be discouraged, Charles Kettering said, “Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it.” 

“I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.” - Charles Kettering

“Don’t be discouraged.  It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.” – Author Unknown

Lesson 7 : You Can’t Do The Impossible OvernightAim for the impossible.  Thomas Foxwell Buxton reminds us that, “With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.”  With enough perseverance, and enough time, you can climb any mountain, accomplish any task, or fulfill any dream; you just have to be determined.  With time, you can do anything; you can swim rivers or cross deserts. 

“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it.  The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.”  - Earl Nightingale

“Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer.”   - Author Unknown

Let’s be reminded of a quote from Jacob Riis, he said, “Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it.  Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.”

Thank You Very Much