Persistence is the foundation of success. Although there are many ways to describe success, there is only one definition of failure ? giving up. Whatever your meaning of success, you will only achieve it through persistence.
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men 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."
-Calvin Coolidge
Babe Ruth had more strike outs than anyone else in history. When asked about the key to his success he said, "I just keep swinging."
In the mid 1960's, Martin Cooper, an electrical engineer at Motorola, had a vision of a phone that could be carried around and powered by a battery. His concept was scoffed at by many of his fellow engineers. After 15 years in development, Motorola brought the cellular phone to market.
In 1864, he was born the son of slaves on a Missouri plantation. He grew up not knowing his parents. With persistence and determination he put himself through college. To combat the racism he encountered, he excelled in everything he did. George Washington Carver became one of our nation's leading scientists and revolutionized agriculture.
At 205 pounds and standing 5'10" tall he was below average size for a pro football player. To build his strength and endurance he ran up steep hills while playing high school football. As a professional player he ran up an 80-yard hill, set at a 45-degree angle, 25 times a day. Determined to be the best he could be, he watched films of opponents until he could predict their moves. Football Hall of Famer, Walter Payton tied or beat seven NFL records during his 13-season career.
You are born without the concept of failure. How did you learn to walk? The first time you tried you immediately fell. But you didn't know you couldn't succeed and immediately tried again. And again you fell down. But you never gave up. Hundreds of times you repeated this process until you learned to walk.
Persistence is getting up one more time than you fall down. Unfortunately, you are taught to give up and fail. How many times have you heard one or more of the following?
"Why bother, you'll never be able to do that ? it'll never work"
"Don't rock the boat, just do what you're supposed to do"
"Why take chances?"
"You'll never amount to anything"
"Stop dreaming -- come back to reality"
"Why don't you give up already?"
"I tried that already, it doesn't work".
If you had believed any of the above when you were learning to walk you would still be crawling! You didn't listen to bad advice then so why listen to it now?
When you feel like giving up, you must keep going. Only by continuing, when most others won't, will you achieve your goals. Don't join the ranks of those who have given up just around the corner from success. You never know where your corner is so you must never stop.
copyright 2005 Bryan Golden
Bryan Golden is a self-development and motivational expert, author, and adjunct professor. He is the author of "Dare to Live Without Limits," and writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column. For more information please visit: http://www.daretolivewithoutlimits.com or http://www.bryangolden.com
Frederick W. Smith attended Yale University and wrote a paper... Read More
Of all the things that can have an effect on... Read More
For centuries Protestant Christians have argued that you can reach... Read More
Do you know how much time do you spend listening?... Read More
Failure is GreatYou are probably asking yourself what could be... Read More
What do Sam Walton, Ray Kroc, Hilton, Marriot, Firestone, Elvis... Read More
Do you ever stop to consider how much we change... Read More
Have you ever met people who exude charm and charisma?... Read More
If you want to make more of your talents -... Read More
Quote of the month: Am I working to live or... Read More
Success, in the dictionary, is defined as, "The achievement of... Read More
Freedom is the deeper meaning, the foundation behind all of... Read More
Wealthy people share common traits. That's why they are wealthy.... Read More
We own a home on the island of Puerto Rico... Read More
I have noticed that though my clients often have created... Read More
Give yourself a gold star Remember how rewarding it was... Read More
Do you know that there is a formula for attaining... Read More
Trust is a cornerstone of human existence. It is interesting... Read More
Something happens when you come to the intersection... Read More
Let's get right to the point, folks.We're all looking to... Read More
Pops first set the goal in high school, but when... Read More
Decide which game to play. Is winning that... Read More
Adults, with eyes to see, can learn so much about... Read More
I started taking stock of my year in 2002. I... Read More
If you look back to the 70s and 80s, many... Read More
1. Open your mind to new ideas: Positive behavior change... Read More
No one becomes successful by accident. Success requires making a... Read More
Thoughts move faster than the speed of light.Expectations jump faster... Read More
Lesson 1. Category Well Being Plan to do this.Stop blaming... Read More
Success is a journey and along the way we need... Read More
If you were to evaluate the major influences in your... Read More
The Great Library of Alexandria once held the wisdom of... Read More
Imagine that you are in a dimly-lit room. You don't... Read More
Hi, Jim Rohn here. This month we focus on accelerating... Read More
"Well, you're just a busy beaver, aren't you?" You've either... Read More
Human beings are visual creatures. Our imaginations are powerful tools... Read More
What makes you unique? Answering this question will provide the... Read More
When Julie looks through the lens of her camera she... Read More
How many people do you hear complaining about their job,... Read More
Nicholas Darvas, escaping his war-torn homeland, Hungary, sought refuge in... Read More
Everything you are or ever will be is completely up... Read More
No matter how young or old you are, you must... Read More
Too many times in the pursuit of our dreams, we... Read More
It is accepted that most people have felt shy at... Read More
You must play by the rules. Everything has rules. You... Read More
What is success? As author and speaker Earl Nightingale said,... Read More
Sometimes short cuts are not worth taking. They may bring... Read More
The most under rated method to achieve success is: The... Read More
If you discovered your speaking career depended on how organized... Read More
Champions expect pain, endure pain, and never complain. ---UnknownAfter so... Read More
Are you getting frustrated because the work you continue to... Read More
Self-improvement; A great deal has been written on the subject,... Read More
Being a spiritual teacher has continually frightened me. Not because... Read More
When you look into the eyes of a winner, what... Read More
Let me say this to get it out of the... Read More
Read these four simple steps that reveal how... Read More
We speak every day without fully recognizing the impact our... Read More
How many times have people asked you what you really... Read More
Do you want to achieve your most important goals in... Read More
I don't need to be a gypsy fortune teller to... Read More
Circus trainers used to tie a chain around a baby... Read More
How can anyone with the brain of a cockroach make... Read More
You are never a failure until you accept defeat as... Read More
Of course by now we are all becoming aware of... Read More
Q: Are you a success?A: Its all in how you... Read More
Everything we do in life involves risk. There's no growth... Read More
Success |