On the Subject of Persistence

My last post was about the subject of quitting and I mentioned the concept of persistence. Today I want to share a little bit more on that concept.

I believe many of us have a problem with maintaining a habit of persistence. It’s my theory that most of us learn very early in life that, if you want something and you ‘persist’ in trying to get it in the only way you know how, you will meet with certain unpleasant consequences! I know I did and I know my kids would agree that they did as well! It was called discipline and usually of the ‘corporal’ variety! Is it any wonder that most of us tend towards wanting to ‘give up’ rather than face the consequences of hardship related to persistence?

What was planted into our ‘little’ minds, though, becomes largely irrelevant later on as we mature. Unless one grows up with an over-indulgent parent, it usually takes a few years to figure out that a certain type of persistent behavior can lead to very rewarding results. And a person will only learn this as he experiences success or develops his reasoning faculties and learns it through others’ experiences.

I want to share a story that I found in a book by Vic Johnson called Day by Day with James Allen. This is a wonderful little book, by the way, whose proceeds go to help young widowed moms. The book is broken down into a daily read for each day of the month. I’ve been reading it for over two years and my day is a little empty if I forget to read it.

On the 26^th day, the subject is PERSISTENCE. I love this story and I will quote Vic Johnson’s words:

  “One of my most favorite inspirational examples about persistence is the story of an Asian Bamboo species that even after five years of watering, weeding and fertilizing is barely visible. Then, in a span of about six weeks, it grows two and a half feet a day to 90 feet and higher. It grows so fast that you can literally ‘hear’ it growing! The question to ask is, did the bamboo grow 90 feet in six weeks or did it grow 90 feet in five years?

  Obviously it grew 90 feet in five years, for all the time when growth wasn’t visible it was developing a massive root system that would later support its magnificent growth.”

Vic goes on to ask this question of the reader...

“Can you see where the current circumstances in your life are developing your massive root system? Can you see where you must continue to ‘fertilize’ and ‘water’ yourself even though maybe you can’t see any visible changes today?”

Isn’t that a great story? It brings to mind, yet again, the quote by Price Pritchett, “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence!”

And Vic Johnson asks you to think about your own life circumstances and invites you to ponder on how you are developing your ‘root system’. 

I know that reading this always leaves me feeling a little bit more heartened and a little bit more determined to keep on keeping on!

What do you think?

Happy Friday!

Cindy Hurd