Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Persist!

Persist!
© By Allen Merritt (2017)

I was tooling around Los Angeles recently and noticed something I had not seen before. It was a sign perched high above the freeway above a tunnel entrance. My eye gravitated toward it all of a sudden as I drove out of downtown on the 110 freeway heading toward Pasadena and the I-5. If you have ever driven that route, you’ll know there are a series of tunnels you pass through. In fact, if you ever watched the movie Rumor Has It, you’ll remember those tunnels as a part of the story line at one point.

Anyway, I’m driving along, look up and see this sign mimicking the famous Hollywood sign, which was humorous to me. However, instead of welcoming everyone to Hollywood, this sign simply put forth the word “PERSIST” in simple white lettering. (I think it was after the second tunnel).

It only takes one little nugget of truth to get the mind to thinking!

It might as well have said, “Don’t give up!”, “Hang in there!”, “Keep trying!” or “You’re almost there!”

Persist is a simple little word to remind us how important we are. That is how I chose to see it anyway.

I wonder who put it there. Someone thought it was important to get the message out there. I’m sure it wasn’t easy getting that sign secured onto that steep over-hang as traffic zoomed by below. That is an act of persistence in and of itself.

The word persist is a verb which is significant in that it is active, which is to say taking action. By definition it means to “continue firmly or obstinately in an opinion or a course of action in spite of difficulty, opposition, or failure.”¹

Here are some thoughts on the word PERSIST or persistence. It is necessary. If no one persisted, nothing would get accomplished. Progress and growth would be obsolete.

I remember the 7.5 marathons I have managed to run. I did them not for any other reason other than to say I did them. I had to show myself I could do it. Heaven knows it isn’t because it ever got easier. It took training, yes. But most of all it took will power, persistence and perseverance to plug along and push my way through to the end. When each marathon was over there was a sense of accomplishment to use as a motivational tool in other areas of my life.

Another thing I am reminded of by this little word PERSIST is that no one ever said anything would be easy. My mother used to tell me that. You can’t be afraid to work at it. If it’s worth having, then it’s worth working for and worth the wait. Life happens in its own time and for its own reasons, so jump those hurdles and leap around every obstacle.

However, every so often you have to create your own support system and find what you are looking for by looking in unsuspecting areas. If you want to make the most out of life, persistence is a step in the right direction. Another powerful word to remember here is versatility. It pays to be diverse. It may seem like you do a lot and master nothing, but in today’s world, the more you are able to do, the more opportunities there are to do it. I know this to be true in my life.

In any case, all it takes is one little word of encouragement to inspire, motivate, remind us and drive us toward that old keep on keeping on!

This week the word isPersist!’
Because it isn’t over until it’s over.
Persistence is powerful. 
Persistence is positive.

Hope springs eternal in moments like these as you’re driving along and a one word message leaps out at you from up above. It just goes to show you it pays to keep your eyes and ears open.

Look to the stars, because the sky’s the limit!

Choose this week to persist and live life on a positive note.

Cheers!


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