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.daretolivewithoutlimits.com
Culver prom limo .."See, I told you so," she emailed me, "it turned... Read More
Coming up with new dreams and passions can be fun,... Read More
Step 1: List all the business activities that you complete... Read More
Commit yourself to spending time only with people who are... Read More
I confess, I love westerns. There is nothing like those... Read More
Don't talk to me about how to succeed! I've read... Read More
Use birthdays and other gift-giving holidays to help reach your... Read More
Magic doesn't have to be complicated. Here are some very... Read More
Human beings are visual creatures. Our imaginations are powerful tools... Read More
The story that is being used to illustrate the concepts... Read More
There is no substitute for direct personal application. Information or... Read More
I was at a dinner party the other night when... Read More
Success is a journey and along the way we need... Read More
Friendly competition Get together with a group of like-minded friends... Read More
There's always a first time to meeting people. We want... Read More
Hello again! I have some more useful tips you can... Read More
Find a higher reason to reach your goal than just... Read More
Overnight success seems to be happening to a lot of... Read More
1. Open your mind to new ideas: Positive behavior change... Read More
In my audio program Book Yourself Solid, The 7 Keys... Read More
Howdy folks, today I would like to speak to you... Read More
For every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards. That's one... Read More
You've been searching for self improvement or personal development. Trying... Read More
1. Clearly define what you want and what is most... Read More
There is a disquieting trend emerging among women particularly -... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..The HungryIn May of 2005 there were over 2 million... Read More
Knowing when to disconnect, shut it off, unplug, or walk... Read More
Never settle for what you can currently imagine You are... Read More
With three kids, a business, a husband with a business,... Read More
Since December 1st 2004, I have written one article or... Read More
All of us could work on our skills in influencing... Read More
A number of years ago, I had the rather unique... Read More
We have all read about people who are successful briefly.... Read More
Nobody becomes a success alone, period. There is no such... Read More
A company entitled "Made for Success" begs the question: Just... Read More
In Latin the word means 'to dare'.This word is so... Read More
Our thought are magnetic ! Like a magnet we attract... Read More
e-Learning is doubling yearly. Classes, e-courses, e-books on how-to and... Read More
Let me ask you a question? What must happen for... Read More
All too often, people pursue a vision of material success... Read More
Skills or beliefs; this may well be another example of... Read More
Plants of all kinds (including trees), herbs and roots have... Read More
To achieve what you want, what you desire, needs a... Read More
In this article we mention 7 tips for your success.... Read More
"Fear Factor" is one of my favorite TV shows. It... Read More
Formula For SuccessThe winners in this life know the rules... Read More
Few books have impacted my perspective on human psychologically and... Read More
Whenever I'm feeling stuck in a rut, I go out... Read More
Do you ever stop to consider how much we change... Read More
Many people consider reading books a waste of time. It... Read More
Success |