Somebody describes opinions of people as the cheapest commodities on earth. Negative opinions of onlookers and close friends have the power to destroy good decisions and desires in worthwhile ventures of life. They could dampen commitment and kill vision. Opinion disallows people to maintain desire and interest in a course of action. It is required of any person who hopes to see the light of great achievements to imbibe the habit of sticking tenaciously to one’s tested vision and decisions and follow them through to the end. Whether negative opinions come plainly as pieces of advice or subtly as ridicule, taunt, mockery, and verbal attack, they should not be allowed to disarm plans and projects.
Lack of persistence is a weakness that has been the major causes of people’s failure in numerous human endeavors. There is a wise saying that “a rolling stone gathers no moss” Again, people say that “a quitter does not win and a winner does not quit.” These sayings underline the importance of persistence.
Persistence precedes success in every human undertaking. Through it people have unswervingly sought a solution or way out of a stubborn problem. Persistence is a state of mind which attracts riches and great achievements; it can be cultivated and developed.
Persistence could be defined as a state of mind characterized by burning desire and a continuous action which are directed towards achieving a definite purpose, at times in the face of obvious setbacks and predicaments. It makes a person see failure and defeat as stepping stone to the expected success. It is an insistence that the expected result be achieved in the face of obvious hindrances, opposition or failure; it rules out partial success.
A persistent person is often energized by defeat or failure to forge ahead valiantly until victory is attained. The strong will, unbending posture and firm decision of great achievers and inventors emanate from the habit of persistence. You may wonder what sustained the zeal and interest of Thomas A Edison after he failed in more than 10,000 experiments before the feat of discovering the electric lamp; persistence was his secret armament. Henry ford in America defied the discouraging counsel of his engineers and achieved his famous V-S motor (a vehicle with the entire eight cylinders cast in one block) by means of persistence.
There was this dramatic remark that opportunity has the trick of making appearance in different forms, disguises and directions which range from failure, temporary defeat, misfortune, adversity or a pressing need; it takes the virtue of persistence to discover opportunity and capture it. Persistence is the stepping stone to success, fulfilment, victory and great accomplishments.
Four steps in successful application of persistence in one’s life are summarized in the acronym - DARE:
Step 1: D...Develop a burning desire to fulfill a definite purpose
Step 2: A...Action plan-develop an action plan to follow strictly
Step 3: R...Resist discouraging opinions and influences and pay attention to none
Step 4: E...Enabling team have to be developed for pursuing your purpose
“Fortunes gravitate to men whose minds have been prepared to attract them, just as surely as water gravitate to the ocean…. If one does not possess persistence, one does not achieve noteworthy success in any calling …..With persistence will come success” (Hill, 2010).
