Robert Half defines Persistence as “what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely, and the likely definite. Persistence is derived from the word ‘Persist’ which means to continue to do something despite difficulty or opposition. Persist is a verb, Persistence is a noun, Persistent is an adjective while persistently is an adverb.
Here is a story of Persistence. A long time ago, a young woman asked her little boy the question “what would you like to be and do most of all”. He looked at his mother and replied, “Mummy, I want to be an Athlete.” Unfortunately, his mother, father and grandparent on both sides were all small in stature. His mother looked at him and smiled and said to him, “son there might not be anything you could do about being big, but there was a great deal you could do about being an athlete”.
For a long time, it appeared the mother was wrong on both counts because he was awkward in performance. He was always the last one to be chosen for any of the pick-up games, regardless of the sport. While in the ninth grade his coach asked him why he continued to pursue the impossible dream of becoming an athlete.
He was devastated at some point but he did not despair in the long run. This boy, Merlin Olsen rose to become an All-American High School Football player. At Utah State he was an All-American defensive player, playing in the NFL Pro Bowl fourteen times.
The moral lesson from this story is, never underestimate what you could be in life. Have the power of positive thinking, Persistence pays! It makes you see possibilities in every impossible situation. There are so many enemies of Persistence, especially in our present society. Let us examine three of these enemies which are discouragement, Laziness and Idleness.
Discouragement could come in any form, it could even come from people who are so dear to you, however, when you persist, those who discourage you initially will be the first to celebrate your success. Do not see discouragement as a barrier or stumbling block but rather as a stepping stone to your greatness. Therefore, treat your discouragement with a courageous attitude.
Laziness weakens your ability to excel while persistence boosts your morale. Laziness brings poverty while persistence brings wealth and endless results. Laziness kills your ability, vigour and strength for success, it makes you satisfied with your present position and predicament. Therefore, treat laziness with a Hard Working attitude.
Idleness is having no purpose or effect. According to a popular saying “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. Idleness makes you spend quality time doing nothing productive. An idle mind will only be crowded with unimportant ideas and activities. You need to put your mind to work and be productive. Therefore, treat your idleness with a busy or busily attitude.
Persistence makes you reach your goal in life earnestly and successfully. It also helps you overcome all limitations and impossibilities. Furthermore, it makes your voice heard, as everyone would want to listen and learn from your success story. “A man with Persistence is the man that creates possibilities despite obscurities and difficulties and bringing into existence unattainable dreams and goals”.
KUNLE AYANO
