Merriam Webster defines Perseverance as “the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult”. If we reflect on that definition for a moment, what comes to mind is the fact that it does not mean we succeed. It is merely action. So what quality leads one to action, yet alone action when things are challenging?
I truly believe that attitude more than anything else is the prime motivator behind action. This is especially true when action is difficult. People and life in general are messy, situations and relations are complicated and there are realties that are unfair and inequitable. Yet somehow there are people that manage to not only move forward but do so with a positive outlook and hope. Simply put, attitude is a choice. It is not a onetime choice, but a minute by minute choice we make subconsciously. The choice happens so quickly in fact, that we do not even register the thought, we just respond. If attitude is the quality behind the action that leads to perseverance, then how we choose to think about situations and circumstances will more than anything effect their outcome.
While perseverance is the action and not success itself, then why is perseverance so important? There can be no success without action, no matter how small or big. Success is not luck, it is not stumbled upon but rather a learned experience over time only garnered by those who act. If you want to be successful or be part of something that is, your attitude and action means everything.
