With Perseverance Comes Success

Perseverance means persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

When a child learns to stand up and tries to walk, he will fall down again and again. And by nature and instinct, he gets up and again tries to step forward, although he falls down. But ultimately, he succeeds in walking. The same thing once happened with each of us when we were children.

Similarly, on our way to success, we should be prepared for obstacles and setbacks. Success isn’t a one-way path or a straight line. It is a muddled road with various ups and downs. You might fall or get lost on your way. However, if you keep going, you will eventually reach your destination.

Thomas Edison is said to have tried 10 000 times to create a light bulb before he succeeded. His attitude was: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10 000 ways that don’t work”.

The great Muhammad Ali, when asked if he liked his training, replied: “I hated every minute of training, but I said to myself, ‘don’t quit, suffer now, and live the rest of your life as a champion’.”

Persistence is the ability to carry on despite the many obstacles that are likely to present themselves. But only a patient person with strong determination can achieve his goal by perseverance.

There are a number of hurdles and failures on our path to success and the only undying quality imbibed in every successful man is the quality of perseverance. It is the quality which makes even seemingly impossible tasks possible.

Jesse Jackson once said: “If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds”. That’s the true essence of persevering – finding the will to get up, continued effort to do or achieve your goals despite the failures or difficulties.

There is no shame in falling; the shame is in accepting the fall as defeat. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to reach that goal. The chances of you succeeding depend largely on your willingness to persist and persevere. If you truly want it, don’t quit and don’t stop trying. Push yourself to the limit and keep going even when things get hard. This is the key characteristic that can make you succeed. Keep going, remain persistent, and your perseverance will help you reach the peak of the mountain.

Tyenitangi Omuwa-Iyaloo Uutoni is passionate about writing. Find her on Instagram @uutoni_tangi_omuwa or email her at iyaloouutoni@gmail.com.

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