“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” -Ecc1.9:10
Do you know what one of the ultimate secrets for success is? It’s a trait that’s more important than talent, brains, or luck, yet anyone can master it. Persistence. It is persistence that helped Lee Trevino, Sally Jesse Raphael, Steven King, and a host of others make it in this world.
Lee Trevino was a fatherless boy with a seventh grade education when he began practicing golf every chance he got. He used a soda bottle wrapped in tape as a putter to practice. Even after placing 54th in his first US Open, he did not give up.
Persistent people know they can succeed where smarter and more talented people fail. Christopher Morley once said, “Big shots are only little shots that keep shooting.” In addition, Edison said, “Genius is 95% perspiration and 5% inspiration.” These people knew that we can all succeed by being persistent. Much of success is believing in yourself. Successful people radiate a positive attitude that inspire others to help them realize their dreams.
Successful people also know that being persistent involves making choices, and some choices involve risk. After experimenting with different strains of popcorn, a 58-year-old farmer found out that his ideal popcorn was too expensive for the average farmer to grow. “If I could just get the public to try the popcorn, I know that they will buy it”, he said. So sinking most of his savings into the project, he hired a marketing firm to develop a name and image for his popcorn. Times were tough, but today Orville Redenbacher’s gourmet popcorn is one of the largest popcorn chains in the world.
Successful people understand that no one makes it to the top in a single bound. What truly sets these people apart is their willingness to keep putting one step in front of the other, no matter how rough the terrain. Just ask Steven King who was rejected many times before he sold a book. Or Sally Jesse Raphael who was fired 18 times, and yet kept going, keeping her dream alive. Or Bobby Bonilla who was passed over by all 26 ball clubs before getting a chance playing Major League Baseball.
Do you have a dream? Do you have a vision for the future? Go for it and be persistent in your efforts. Success isn’t about making a lot of money or having prestige, it is realizing that you are achieving the goals that you have set for yourself and finding joy in the process.