It may lack the nobility of integrity, the charisma of enthusiasm, the grace of generosity, and the sparkle of excellence, but the beauty of perseverance is that, in time, it always makes up for all that which it lacks. There is great virtue and glory in never giving up.

Nothing concentrates the mind or tests our character like a demanding goal—the desire to be something better than we are, to be the complete person that we are meant to be. But in the course of achieving any goal, we can expect to experience both triumph and tragedy. No great achievement comes without obstacles, including physical limitations, the unpredictability of nature, Murphy’s Law, or resistance from the outside world. In fact, we should be thankful for all obstacles, for they are our practice ground. Each new victory prepares us for a greater future victory. In the end, we express our greatness not by the acts we perform, but by the perseverance that made those acts possible.

Perseverance keeps hope alive. Growth of any type requires personal struggle; in the face of stern obstacles and setbacks we need to keep moving forward, however tempting it might be to give up and let go of our dreams. Perseverance is a force that stirs us and keeps us moving on toward our goals. The inner passion of perseverance, the indomitable emotional commitment to a worthy goal or an ennobling cause, is an awesome and liberating force.

With perseverance, we hurdle adversity; without it, we stumble. With perseverance, we discover the depths of our commitments; without it, we merely survive. With perseverance, we are undaunted; without it, we succumb to fear and exhaustion.

We live in an age of immediate gratification. What we want, we want now, and just the way we ordered it. No delays, no substitutions, no excuses. Sadly, many view new tasks and the accomplishment of most goals that way. We want overnight growth, instant mastery, and flawless performance on the first try. But that’s not the way success works; we need the core attributes of patience and perseverance to be truly successful.

Pace is irrelevant to perseverance. It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop. Yet perseverance is more than simple constancy. Yes, we need to keep moving, but only if we are headed in the right direction. It does us no good to keep slogging into a quagmire. We must remember the dif- ference between studied conviction and mindless stubbornness.

Steady perseverance—the achievement of a little every day—is of more value than an overly aggressive and unplanned rush forward. Patience and perseverance are two of the most difficult things to embrace for one whose commitment is being tested and tried through the fire. If you persevere in doing the right things, you will ultimately get the right results. If we fail to act with perseverance, we forfeit victory. As long as you are willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes, no one will be able to prevent you from reaching your goal.

Victory belongs neither to the fainthearted nor to the weak-willed—not if the enemy is great and his resolution strong. Victory necessitates that we fight on with undying, inflexible persistence. The rewards for those who persevere far exceed the pain that must precede the victory.

Quitting is the path of least persistence. There will be times when a voice within you seems to shout: “I doubt if I can continue.” “Why don’t you just quit and go back to safer ground.” “I don’t know if this will ever work.” “Who am I kid- ding?” “Why not just throw in the towel.” When you hear that voice, dismiss your doubts. Remind yourself there are always compensations for the assets you lack.

We cannot all claim genius, or beauty, or the best schooling, but anyone can have perseverance. Perseverance has no peers as a personal quality; it’s more important than talent, more powerful than intelligence, and more resilient than the best strategy. Perseverance is omnipotent, and those infused with it will not be denied victory. The spirit of indomitable perseverance crowns every worthy effort.

The residual effect of perseverance sometimes doesn’t happen for years. When you get into a pickle, when your back is up against the wall, when your options are paltry, and when it seems as though you could not possibly hang on a minute longer, tap your perseverance and don’t give up. Everything can look like a failure in its middle stages; that perception becomes reality only when you quit before you’ve succeeded. Perseverance is ultimately a physical, emotional, and spiritual demonstration of how badly we want to succeed.

In your efforts to achieve your goals, you will be buffeted and pummeled, criticized and opposed, attacked and assaulted. You will struggle and fall. But you must fight one more round. Great adversity and setbacks can’t defeat you if you persevere. Let them see you sweat, as perseverance is fueled by a heart- pounding, ego-bashing, soul-searching test of your limits.

Why put yourself through so much pain and uncertainty? Because if you can pass this test, you will inspire others and prove to yourself that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

You must rise each time you fall. You must make perseverance count!

Everything Counts – Gary Ryan Bair