Benjamin Franklin once said that “energy and persistence conquer all things.”
That guy knew a very big secret to success and to happiness. It isn’t just about talent or skill set. It more often is about persistence.
This is true in every aspect of life. Ever heard the saying that overnight success takes 10 years? It’s really bang on. We can learn the skills needed if we continue putting the energy into it. There are so many examples of people who are successful who were not especially talented, educated or extra smart. They found success through persistence and dogged determination.
I know this is going to hurt some people’s sensitivities but sometimes it needs to be said. This is so often the point where I see people struggling when they come to me and say that they can’t figure out why success eludes them.
What do I hear? Things like…
- it’s really hard
- I slipped off the wagon so now it’s over
- I don’t know how
- no one told me
- I made a plan and it didn’t work
- this wasn’t how it was supposed to be
It’s really hard to watch the disappointment and frustration on people’s faces when I feel the need to bluntly explain some life lessons. Please take what I’m about to say with the love and care that is intended.
Lesson: Success rarely hits you on your first foray out. You are foolish to think you can do everything in one shot simply because you made a plan.
Okay but here’s the good news. You did find success…just perhaps not the one you were looking for. Just because you planned for huge success in one area doesn’t mean it will work out. Still, you gained valuable insights, skills and learned more of that which you needed to know.
This is where persistence comes into play. You’ve got to keep going, adjusting the plan and perhaps even the goals.
This is true all over the place. It’s true for business, career, relationships, healthy living, wellness…heck learning to ride a bike! You name it, if you give up because the first try didn’t work you’d still be stuck crawling around on all fours.
Nothing is as powerful as persistence. If you have passion for something you will be determined to persist.
One of my favorite metaphors for persistence comes from the story of how a small stream can, over time wear away solid stone. Water would not seem at first to be able to change the way that the hard stone looks but through time, persistence and movement it most certainly can. In fact the water’s movement shapes entire landscapes…all through persistence.
Have you ever noticed a flower or bit of grass growing in a strange place? How about through rock? How do you suppose a fragile flower manages to fragment rock? You know…persistance.
Keep this in mind next time you are feeling frustrated that success did not show up for this round of effort.
In the confrontation between the stream and the rock,the stream always wins – not through strength, but through persistence.”
~Buddha~
And may you find the pleasure that comes from the lessons learned by simply pushing forth and staying determined. Every flower, every person will bloom when they are ready, but not before they do the work to find a way to feel the warmth of the sun.
great post Bonnie , i always believed that no will ever reach his goals before he becomes persistent since success doesn’t happen from the first attempt
thanks for the post
I think success can happen from the first attempt on occasion Farouk…good solid preperation can foster that but it’s not the usual case that it all works out exactly as we hoped is it? More often than not we have things we overlooked or didn’t quite follow the plan. Sometimes it’s a matter of not knowing what we don’t know…that is where learning those lessons is such a gift!
Lessons learned are the only way to success. I really like your explanation of persistance Bonnie. It is too bad that in this day people still think there is a real ‘easy button’. And I believe because there are so many images of what they think success is ….
For instance, you see these guru’s in front of their big homes, cars or at the beach. If we could only show the true picture of how hard many of these folks worked, then there would not be any misconceptions.
I am always promoting a positive approach to any business success. I think that is why I enjoy your blog because you really tell it like it is but with always a voice of positive purpose and supoort.
Balance again but living one day at a time and realizing that when you are on purpose life unfolds. The biggest difference between humans and that stream is that we can find a different way to get around the rock so that the rock can exist in harmony with us. A stream just keeps on keeping on without knowing that it can dig a new channel that allows the rock and it to coexist.
I agree with persistence but not like a stream – every day just live the five agreements and be a passionate, purposeful performer
Balance to all things is usually key Roberta you are very correct there. About the stream though, I think a stream will find it’s way around a rock or obsticle. We are more alike in this way than different. Many times when water is flowing it will choose a meandering path won’t it? My bigger thought though in this post, was the idea of perisiting in order to reach a goal or make a change. The idea that we develop that which we need and sometimes it can take time and many attempts to do so.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts
Persistence and and energy yes that is pretty much the answer to all challenges.
Good day to you! Doesn’t it always sound so simple and straightforward to write that on paper? Or in this case a screen? It can be tough to keep in our minds though when faced with frustration. Adapting our plan to fit the new skills, lessons and understanding is important though. Doing the exact same thing won’t help get us much further don’t you think?
Life is constant adaption about that you are so right,I often loose sight of where I am going in my persistence, and I do lose the energy at times…but that’s okay too as long as you pick it up and continue on…Sometimes the desire is lacking, then you have a problem, time to refocus and determine if you are in the right place…
I am a fan of persistence. (Even though one of my theses involved evanescent reactions
)
But, folks also need to understand that too much Resistance Stopping Incrementation means you no longer peRSIst but are a PEST!
I couldn’t agree more!
I sometimes make the mistake of persisting iwhen I really shouldn’t, but I think I’m learning to let go too…
My hero is Odysseus.
Hi Eleni
You are very right! There has to also be a balance of knowing when you are not persisting so much as stubbornly clinging on. I think that comes from knowing how to grab the lessons you’ve learned and adjust what it is your doing.
Oh and Odysseus! Perfect!