One of the great themes of the Bible is - perseverance. Paul, who refused to quit, wrote: 'Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, 'The great majority of men are bundles of beginnings.' Are you merely a starter, or are you also a finisher? When the enthusiasm for a new idea fades, when the odds against you increase and the results diminish, when it looks as if success is impossible, you must keep forging ahead. Admiral Robert Peary attempted to reach the North Pole seven times before he finally succeeded. Oscar Hammerstein produced five shows on Broadway that were flops before staging Oklahoma, which was seen by almost five million people during a record-breaking run of 2,212 performances. Quitting is more about who you are, than where you are or what you're up against. We all have our excuses. The truth is, external things don't stop us; it's what happens to us on the inside! Most of us stop ourselves from reaching our potential. We can pretend that people, things and situations outside of ourselves are to blame, but in reality most failures are just the result of a lack of bulldog-like tenacity.
Leonardo da Vinci said, 'Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star, does not change his mind.' You must have a mindset to tenaciously pursue your dream. The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying. There is no insurmountable barrier, except your own inherent lack of purpose and persistence.
I totally NAILED my Sociology presentation today. I could not be happier with how today went.
Glad that is over - but so happy.
Looking forward to the next presentation. For now though - next challenge - essay due on April 17th.
I wish i had known how good this felt 20 years ago. I am at a real risk of getting addicted to education now.
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3 comments:
That's awesome news (though not at all surprising)...well done!!
I was boring and started Uni at the tender age of 17, straight after 7th form. I look back now and think how much more you'd take from it, with a few years of real life under your belt.
Think how far you've come..it's amazing.
I wish i had been a little more boring Suz! My mother did not encourage me to study and convinced me that my job at a bank was as good as it was going to get - even with a degree.
I wish i had not listened.
I worked hard on that presentation. I was really stressed about it and spent all weekend on it. At one point i felt like i had hit a wall and was going to turn up yesterday totally unprepared - then Merton's Deviance Theory and the 4 elements of the Social Control Theory jumped out at me - and i was away. Finished it two hours after that - on Sunday night - and did not look at it again until i presented it.
It was scary standing up in front of a room full of people. The last time i did that - i was in court! But knowing that i had prepared and knew what i was talking about made it easier...
I can't recall feeling as good in the last few years as i did when the lecturer told me i had "raised the bar" and people came up to me during the lunch break, shook my hand, and told me how good they thought it was.
I can not WAIT to get my grade. This is going to be addictive for me - i can tell.
At least it is a good addiction though!
Revel in that feeling Jackie; you have more than earned it..you've lived addiction, survived it, overcome it, and are now kicking its arse for heaps of others!
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