AGAINST ALL ODDS: PERSIST

"Your dreams can come true through the power of persistence". Thelma Barnes. 

      Firstly, let me walk all round; the meaning of persistence and it's attributes. Patience and persistence can mean the same thing: not giving up and waiting, hanging on inspite of the setbacks and challenges but they literally have their own different meaning. 

Persistence simply means the act of continuing in an opinion or cause of action inspite of difficulty or opposition. It means pushing forward inspite of challenges. 

Patience just means enduring suffering while waiting for whatever you set your mind on, or whatever you believe in to materialize, but persistence means acting inspite of your suffering. It means fighting even while waiting. It means pushing even while expecting. It means staying power. The resolution to keep on keeping on no matter how hard or tough it gets. It refers to perseverance inspite of fatigue or frustration. It means determination. A stubborn resolution. Hanging on when it seems like all hope is lost. Striving even in the face of adversity. It means not giving up no matter the problems. Sticking to your goals and routines and hanging in there even after falling severely. The willingness to work even when ladened with weakness. It means the courage to fight back against all odds. The ability to bounce back from defeat. Focusing on your goals even when stacked with hardwires. 

It means believing in yourself and moving on even after repeated failures. It means girding your loins and fighting back the enemy even when washed out with fatigue. Picking up the remaining pieces of your life sanitized by failure and marching on without resentment. It means pursuing your dreams even when no one believes in them. It means not giving up no matter the matter. A stubborn resolution. An infectious determination. 

You've got three choices in life: give up, give in, or give it your all. 

                     THOMAS EDISON 

One of the most famous and prolific inventors of all times. Thomas Alva Edison exerted a tremendous influence on modern life, contributing inventions such as the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera, as well as improving the telegraph and telephone. In his 84 years, he acquired an astounding 1,093 patents. Aside from being an inventor, Edison also managed to become a successful manufacturer and business man, marketing his inventions to the public. A myriad of business liaisons, partnerships and corporations filled Edison's life and legal battles over various patents and corporations were continuous. 

Edison faced a lot of challenges while growing up including being almost deaf as a child. An early bout with scarlet fever as well as ear infections and a blow to the head left Edison with hearing difficulties in both ears as a child and nearly deaf as an adult. Edison's deafness strongly influenced his behaviour and career, providing the motivation for many of his inventions. The world has never been quite as dark ever since. Edison confirmed that his profound deafness was indeed a blessing because it allowed him to think and read with total concentration. Every disappointment is indeed a blessing. Our challenges can only triumph over us if we allow it. If deafness could not stop a young man like us from pursuing and achieving his dreams, then what stops us. What excuses do we have again to make. Apart from his deafness, he even failed a thousand times in his attempt to create the incandescent light bulb. In response to a question about his missteps, Edison said "I have not failed 10,000 times, I've successfully found 10,000 ways that won't work". Wow. What a mentality. What a genius. What a man. No excuses at all. Edison knew and had the power of persistence. The power of not giving up no matter what. Exactly what I meant by a stubborn resolution. He was an ambitious man and his desires took him very far. His determination and passion for greatness made him achieve feats deemed impossible. If he can, you too can. Yes you can. Of course you can. Impossible is a word found only in the dictionary of fools. Against all odds: persist. 

Do not allow your challenges to triumph over you. Do not allow setbacks and hardship ruin your quest for a successful life. Keep on grinding. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Those who are rough around the edges. Those who are not afraid of taking calculated risks. Those who are not afraid to leave their comfort zones. Those who never give up. Those who persist against all odds. Those who stand firm in the face of trials and turbulence. Edison triumphed because he never gave up. He tested thousands of materials before creating the carbon filament light bulb. Steven Spielberg was rejected from film school three times. John Grisham's first book, A Time to Kill was rejected 28 times. Albert Einstein was labelled mentally slow by his school authorities. Henry Ford's first two automobile companies failed. He went bankrupt before starting the Ford Motor Company. J. K. Rowling received twelve rejections before the first Harry Potter book was published. 

Still on still, these people became widely famous and successful because they refused to quit. They never gave up and against all odds they persisted. Their persistence paid off. They became triumphant. They emerged victorious. Persistence is a valuable characteristics that helps individuals overcome obstacles, learn from failures and ultimately achieve desired outcomes. Perseverance, patience and persistence are keys to achieving personal growth and success in various aspects of life such as education, career, relationships, and personal development. 

You're a strong soldier choosing your battles, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the saddle. You're on the front line and everyone's watching, you know it's serious, you are getting closer, this isn't over, the pressure is on, you feel it but you got it all, believe it.

When you fall get up, if you fall get up and keep on fighting. The final whistle have not yet been blown. You can be grinding for five years with no results and on the sixth year become the biggest thing on the planet. The power of never giving up is real. 

Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you've encountered and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.