Get a Grip on Perseverance

Get a Grip on Perseverance
By John Thurman

Remember the story of The Little Engine that Could?
Whether you read it as a child, or like many from my generation, saw the cartoon on Captain Kangaroo, you will recall that it is a wonderful lesson on perseverance.
One of the most memorable lines from the story is when the Little Engine says, “I think I can. I think I can.” It is a wonderful story about a small railroad engine that had seen better days. As newer, faster, stronger trains were developed, the little engine felt minimized and was assigned to the rail yard. Events unfold, and like any Hallmark movie, the little engine, through courage and perseverance saves the day.

How do you get through tough times? Do you freeze with fright? Run from fear? Or do you persevere and win the day? Your attitude towards adversity determines what you do with it. No thought lives in you mind rent-free. Every thought you have either enriches your life or limits it.

By now you are either curious or a little angry at me, so allow me to show you where I am going. Over the next few weeks I will be doing a series of short articles on how to develop resilience in your personal life, your relationships, and in your business endeavors. Here is the outline I will be following over the next several weeks.

Persist no matter what
Endure discomfort
Request help from others
Steadfastly hold on to your hopes, dreams, beliefs and values
Envision victory
Very consistently maintain your focus
Embrace adversity as your teacher
Refuse to quit
Enjoy and celebrate every inch of the journey

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, “Press on,” has solved, and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the U.S.

As we begin to move in this direction of developing and strengthening your personal ability to persevere and develop resilience. I want to remind you of some significant, life changing truth from the Scriptures.

“Fix your thoughts in what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

Part of moving in this new direction may require some changes in how we think about life, ourselves, God, and others.

While you and I live in a free country and are free to choose what we think about, many of us ourselves destructive things that can limit, at least temporarily, the big dreams God has for us.

Here is a exercise you can do. For the next five minutes, pay attention to almost any conversation and listen for any distorted, toxic self-talk, blaming, whining, commiserating, condemning, and justification. You will likely hear people argue in favor of their most cherished limitations. You might even notice that some will insist they are not being negative, but realistic, giving an honest description of their lives. They have convinced themselves of their own internal press.

The problem is when we fail to employ the truths of verse like Philippians 4:8, we can set in motion a series of outcomes, both large and small that makes us impotent in the face of life’s challenges. The good news is that you and I can begin to change today.

As we begin this series, let me throw down a challenge.

Where you have been, what you have done, and where you are now matters far less than where you are headed. If you continue to look into the rear view mirror of your life, you will have a wreck and possibly miss some life opportunities. If you continue to identify with both current and prior performance by constantly thinking and talking about it, then where you have been, where you are, and where you are going will become one and the same. This will show itself in your marriage, your business, and even your hobbies.

Interested in moving forward?

Through this series of articles, I will show you simple, yet powerful, principles you can begin to use to help you strengthen your ability to persevere.

The Apostle Paul said it best, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have reached perfection. But I press on... I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race...” Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT).

(c) 2010 John Thurman