It is often confused with “endurance”. Endurance is a good thing, but it’s more about surviving. Endurance is vital to the accomplishing of a goal, but it is more about developing the stamina to persist through the difficult situations of life. Persevering, however, is about thriving.
“I will … until”. Once the course of action is set, I will continue down that path, adjusting when necessary, until I reach my goal.
There is another principle of success that goes hand in hand with perseverance, and that is visualization. “Get a clear mental picture of what you want, fill it with emotion, and hang on”.
When the challenges come, and it’s a fact of life that they will, perseverance means we will find a way around them. We will find the good, extract it, and then navigate around the bad and on to the goal.
I invite you today to take some time to think about the ways that you can persevere through your circumstances and obstacles. Remember that the fuel of this perseverance comes from a deep passion for the purpose that you are pursuing.
- Exercise:
What is the purpose that you are persevering for? - What are some obstacles that are in your way?
Integral Development Forum 