HOW DO YOU PERSEVERE?

 

As bits of burning ceiling rained down on me ...

 

I failed my cat, Pebbles, who had scratched me awake to find my bedroom a literal hell.  She had crawled under my bed when I thought she was racing at my side.

The bedroom was an inferno. 

But I had Hercules, my Norwegian Elkhound, in my arms as I crawled along the burning floor of the front room.

The front door seemed miles away.  My lungs burned.  My face blistered on my skull.  My fingers and hands were those of Freddie Kruger.

But I would not fail Hercules, overcome by smoke.  Inch by painful inch, I crawled to my goal.

Closer and closer to the door I crawled.

 My vision dimmed.  I could smell my hair burning.  I ground my teeth.

I would save Hercules or die with him.  Those were the only options for me.  And I made it to the front door.

Hercules died of a heart attack before I got out of the burn ward.  But I had tried my best.

Trying our best is all that any of us can do.

Jeremy Hawkins is having a bad time of it.  So is Melissa Bradley.  So are many of you.

“If you hear a voice within you say
‘you cannot paint’
then by all means paint,
and that voice will be silenced.”
~Vincent van Gogh
 

HOW DO YOU PERSEVERE?

1.) KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

If you have a specific goal, you can take specific steps.

Sometimes the goal is merely to keep your head when fear and despair are wailing inside your mind. 

Know that others before you have triumphed under similar burdens.

Sometimes victory is not an option. 

But you can go down swinging.  Or you can find moments of beauty and peace

made all the more special because they are so fleeting and fragile.


2.) BE STILL AND BREATHE SLOWLY AND DEEPLY

Breathe so that your stomach distends when you inhale, then pulls in when you exhale.

Breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

 Move on with your day, dealing with the situation in a cool and appropriate manner.

If you're in a line or a crowded doctor's office, wait patiently for your turn.

 You have more important things to spend your energy on. 

 Shaking your fist at the rain will not keep you dry.  Getting an umbrella will.


3.) THE DOGS BARK BUT THE LION WALKS ON.

{With thanks to Anne R. Allen}

As you walk the path toward your dream, or just work on persevering in daily life, you might encounter people who question you or tell you you won't get far.

Don't let it weigh you down. Realize that people are usually negative as a result of their own problems and issues they're dealing with.


4.) BE YOUR BEST FRIEND AND TELL YOURSELF THE TRUTH

 Be truthful with yourself.

If you've strayed from the path toward your goal, own up to it.

 For example, if your goal is to become a published author, and you haven't set aside time to write, face the facts instead of making excuses for yourself.

 Sometimes the right path is clear, and other times it's murky.

Do what you need to do to see clearly, whether that's meditating, going to a church service, writing in a journal, or another activity that helps you sort through your thoughts.


5.) PROBLEMS, LIKE JEWELS, HAVE MANY FACETS

 Each time you encounter an obstacle, examine the issue from all angles before you take action.

There's always more than one way to handle a problem, and you want to figure out which path makes the most sense without taking any shortcuts.

 It takes courage to act on your beliefs, especially when they aren't popular.

But you can draw strength and confidence from the knowledge that you weighed the options carefully and acted based on your own steadfast beliefs.


6.)  TAKE THE LONG, LARGER VIEW

Know that each trial will eventually pass in some fashion, and do your best to get through it with grace and strength,

so that you can be proud of how you performed later on, when you're looking back.

Understand that while your problems matter,

they don't matter more than other people's. Gain a sense of how large the world is, and engage with it as much as you can.


7.)  FIND SOMETHING AT WHICH TO LAUGH

“Success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.” ~Robert Strauss


 Sir, What is the secrete of your success?" a reporter asked a bank president.

"Two words"

"And, Sir,what are they?"

"Right decisions."

"And how do you make right decisions?"

"One word."

"And,sir, What is that?"

"Experience."

"And how do you get Experience?"

"Two words"

"And, Sir, what are they?"

"Wrong decisions"