Working with and being around as many people as I do, I am fortunate enough to hear a lot of great stories about people’s lives and their struggles. I have always enjoyed hearing listening to those “defining moments” when someone’s life could have went several different ways and quite frankly, I never seem to get tired of hearing about peoples lives.
I have heard stories about what it was like being raised by parents who made it through the great depression (and their beliefs and behaviors because of that) as well as what it is like to be married to the same person for 60 years. Years ago, I heard a story about a little Girl who had the privilege of sitting on her great, great Grandfather’s knee for the first time when she was just four years old. Only days before he passed away. Rarely do I ever hear the same story twice and always enjoy those times when I am told about a small piece of time from someone’s life. With these stories...there often seems to be a "turning point" or a "fine thread" that has held someone’s life together while they were going through or enduring an event that was in their life’s path.
Our history books are full of stories about men and women who have gone through great trials and struggles on their life’s journey. We can pick up a book and read about them almost anywhere. Yet, the common denominator with the ones who overcame and came out on top were that they all seemed to persist, no matter what happened to them or what they had to go through. Just the other night, I was watching a TV show called: "I Shouldn’t Be Alive". There were several stories of people who were faced with life and death challenges and when all the odds were against them, they still overcame and chose life, all because they took one more step and persisted. Now I am sure this is not the case for every single person, but this common thread of persistence, demands further attention.
A few examples here are the real life stories of average people who refused to give up and more importantly, they refused to give up on themselves. Time and time again we can look back and see where persistence paid huge dividends. Truth be known, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Kernel Sanders, Babe Ruth, Winston Churchill and Walt Disney, were all failures. Many, MANY times they tried and worked and pushed to only be rejected, and were met with disappointment. The one thing every one of them did, regardless of what happened to them, they persisted and continued to move forward! Back in their days, few people knew of these great men. Today though, everybody knows who they are and what they did, simply because of one common trait: persistence.
Jack Canfield, the Co-Author of Chicken Soup for the Soul approached 124 publishers before he finally found one that said yes to his book. Today, the Chicken Soup for the Soul series has reached millions of homes all over the globe and has been printed into 54 different languages. Back then, no one really knew who Jack Canfield was, but today everyone knows of his Chicken Soup for the Soul series, largely due to his persistence.
I know it is easy to become frustrated and want to quit. When I was younger, I quit several things. But as I grew up, I realized that the price for giving up too soon was very costly and, in some cases, could be life altering. If all of those men I mentioned had given up too soon, what would our world look like today? How different would we be living? Sure, other people may have stepped in and filled their roles, but because they persisted, you and I get to enjoy the fruits of their accomplishments. Overall, I think there is everything to gain by being persistent and there is everything to lose by not.
In tough and hard times, above all, persist. If you think about it, the other choice (quitting) is not really a choice at all. If you will keep pushing forward, no matter what comes your way, no matter how bad it seems, as long as you don’t quit, the only thing that can eventually happen for you is success. Thousands and thousands of men and women before us have already proven that persistence pays off. So go ahead…keep going... persist! Your reward is waiting for you!
Have a great Friday everyone, be blessed.
Great read, Scott! Thanks for sharing. Very inspiring. :)
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