Persistence is a pesky word if you ask me. It rings up words like perspire, petulant, and even pain. That may be true or I may just have a penchant for alliteration. But really I often question the idea of persistence until, well, I persist. I persist in not giving up.
Over the coming weeks we will see and hear about the graduates who are finishing up their time at school. The time they spent being dedicated students, to seeing something through to the end, will be received with the applause it deserves. While these are wonderful celebrations, there are some who will be persistent and never hear the accolades of achieving success.
Those are the folks who experience the quiet accomplishments, the ones like my friend coming back from surgery and keeping a positive attitude even though it has been months since he’s been able to do his regular routine. Or another friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer and is seeing chemotherapy through without cheers and pats on the back but with soft hugs and supportive smiles. And, there are my countless friends who have trained for various competitions and at one time or another have been sidelined before a race or during and never got the chance to hear the crowd roar at the finish line.
But all of these people share something that makes me realize that there is value in being persistent. They have an attitude that says, it’s okay if I don’t get an ovation. What I want, I get from the applause on the inside, from that place that says—I’ve done my best because I did not give up. I was persistent and that is success enough.