Persevering Through Adversity...

"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not through strength, but by perseverence."
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Author of "Life's Little Instruction Book"

I have always wondered about people who stop just short of their goal...those who give up when a little more would have turned the battle. I am not one to judge; simply pointing out a simple observation – we tend to give up too quickly!

I recently discovered something about myself: I have no desire to run a marathon...for any reasons. I can give a plethora of excuses, but it all boils down to this simple fact: I. Have. No. Desire. There are, however, other things I wish to accomplish in life - things I greatly desire to see through. For those, I will put my head down, like a Tour de France cyclist, and fight a strong headwind towards the finish line.
When it comes to fighting through adversity, we must put our heads down and keep "cycling" - for some, it's training, writing, learning how to be cordial, or simply giving it the best you've got; for others, it's swinging even when there's no fight left in you...running when you can't feel your legs.

When our desire meets a determination to overcome and do whatever it takes to reach the finish line, we have already attained success. You see, crossing the finish line is the prize; however, we cannot get to the prize at all if we do not have a potent mix of desire and determination. Some say we need to "live life on purpose"...I say that we must be deliberate about life. Nothing "happens" on its own - an object, according to Newton’s Laws of Motion, will remain at rest unless acted upon by an outside force...

So, dear friend, what are you not acting upon? Is it your education? Perhaps your finances? Maybe your marriage? Could it be your career? Are you waiting for things to happen? Or are you being deliberate?

 I encourage you to fight for your end result…to be the force that invokes motion. Will you act upon the feeling you now have to act? 

© 2019, Dr. Kozhi Sidney Makai. No part of this blog post may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system without the written consent of the copyright holder.