“The most essential factor is persistence – the determination
never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement
that must inevitable come. – James Whitcomb Riley
I love this quote but wanted to share with you my thoughts as
someone who went out into the world blindly believing life to be one thing and
realizing along the way that while it was nothing I expected, it became
everything I needed…including a great adventure. (disclaimer: if you don’t
allow an unexpected life to dampen your spirit)
The reality is that life, other people and even you yourself
will at some point not live up to your expectations. So understanding that it
is how we handle ourselves when things don’t go as planned or well that we show
to the world and more importantly ourselves who and what we are made of. Here
is something I have discovered over time that might help you understand what I
mean.
The word Persistence or perseverance is often used by
people to mean you need to be strong enough to hold on no matter what! To
me true persistence means not only knowing when you need to be strong enough to
hold on and keep fighting for that thing, persistence means also knowing that
sometimes in life’s journey we need to be strong enough to know when to let go.
To let go in order to remain persistent in our commitment to our faith, our
self worth, our values, our character, our goals, our dreams for happiness, and
the quality of life we deserve.
I can’t say if we follow that plan tears won’t fall, your heart
won’t be broken, that life will be easy, and the answers always clear. I can
tell you it is from these life moments that are the most challenging and
uncertain that you will look back on and know they were the moments that were
even more impactful than the great ones. These are the moments along the way
that will shape your life, make you stronger, wiser, and eventually into the
woman you were meant to be.
So as you embark on this next phase of your life never lose your
energy or enthusiasm nor allow anyone to take them away from you. Remain
determined in your persistence for the things that are important to you as well
as for you.
- written today for my niece Sarah who is graduating high school this year.
