PERSEVERANCE........unleashing your inner strength.

Perseverance is a virtue you can hardly find among the youths of this generation. Whereas it is one of the qualities anyone who must succeed at any endeavor must possess. Perseverance is a determination and a continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failures or oppositions. It is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. It is a decision to stay committed to a vision and mission – the task at hand – regardless of what comes against you and never resigning yourself to your fears. It involves coming to a decision never to give up. Never to throw in the towel on your goals and dreams. Perseverance is a process. Not just a process for the exercise but for the rewards. It goes beyond being stubborn to prove a point or to stand your ground on an issue. Perseverance begins with the right attitude – an attitude of tenacity and the good news is that it is a trait that can be cultivated. Unfortunately, not many people today are willing to go through any difficulties in life and I think some of our religious leaders are not helping in this regard as quite a number of them have failed to educate their followers that success involves a process and it not just something you stumble on. Truly, opportunity without persistence will be lost. Perseverance empowers your ability to see obstacle as an opportunity to succeed through the lessons learnt. It reminds you that you are a work in process and encourages you to pursue excellence, instead of perfection. Perseverance empowers your ability to look for alternative solutions. It reflects your being and not your doing. It empowers your ability to see circumstances in a different light. It reminds you to celebrate your small gains/successes and to fight on for more.

I do not know what your vision is but I want to encourage you to let it be your guiding light as you persevere through the less than desirable moments in life. A dream doesn't become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work which must be endured. Know that opportunities without persistence will be lost. Understand the relationship between perseverance and potential. If you have a habit of giving up, you need to overcome it to be successful.

Never let discouraging moments break you and don’t let anyone tell you that they won’t come. Instead, chose to be resilient and focus on your vision. Be determined to rise above any situation and accomplish even the loftiest goals. Finally, always bear in mind that if you desire to be successful and maximize your talent, you need to be consistent and persistent. Just as the saying also goes “talent without perseverance never comes to full fruition.” Have a great day.