Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not;nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not;
the world is filled with educated derelicts.
Perseverance and determination alone are omnipotent.
Calvin Coolidge
There are many individuals in history that have attained amazing accomplishments in spite of past failures or handicaps. They have managed to overcome the negative in their lives and gone on to achieve greatness.
These people stand out because they haven’t let anything stand in the way of their goals. They had no plan B. They simply set their sights on their goal and stayed the course no matter what or who tried to get in the way. Many had setbacks that would have caused most of us to give up…. but these amazing individuals never stopped. People of this nature don’t cave in to feeling sorry for themselves when things don’t go as desired. They simply keep going as if there is no other option. Many are even thought to be foolish for continuing to pursue their dreams in spite of the odds against them. But they don’t pay attention to the naysayers. They persevere.
Dale Carnegie said it very well “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
Whether our goals are small or so great that we will one day affect the world, they are worth our very best because with each accomplishment, comes the confidence and satisfaction of having pursued something worthwhile.
“Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain” Unknown.
A few examples:
Spud Webb stands at 5’6” tall. He played in the NBA…..quite an accomplishment. But he also won the 1986 slam dunk contest.
Lance Armstrong was diagnosed in 1996 with testicular cancer that had metastasized to his brain and lungs. He underwent surgery and extensive chemotherapy. His prognosis was originally quite poor….He won the Tour de France 7 consecutive times starting in 1999. He is the only athlete to do this and managed to break 5 records in the process.
Bethany Hamilton, a beautiful, vibrant young girl, lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing and nearly died. But her faith kept her going as she went on to return to competitive surfing.
Helen Keller, who we all learned about in school, blind and deaf yet became an author and is known as one of the most courageous women in history.
I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
Thomas A. Edison
I am encouraged to keep going no matter what. Life isn’t always easy. Sometimes we do stumble and fall but the most important thing we can do is to get up and keep going. Persevere!
