Thursday's Child: Perseverance

In today's segment, I'm looking at perseverance and what it means in relation to "going far.

First, the definition- Perseverance: steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. "his perseverance with the technique illustrates his single-mindedness,"

I believe this is one of the keys to triumph in anything I do. How many of us just persevered through Mercury Retrograde? It's not just going through an ordeal, it's about pushing when  you feel like throwing your hands up in the air and saying, "forget it!" It's putting your courage to the sticking place and refusing to let any obstacle get in the way of what you are going to do. There's an inborn stubbornness to those who persevere. They just won't be stopped.

For those who want to achieve success, the bigger question may be "how do I persevere?"

First, it's important to know what you want. I hate the terms "goal" and "goal-setting." I think they were worn-out in the business world about 10 years ago. As someone who's developed training programs for corporations, I am burned-out on buzzwords. Synonyms would be intention, target, purpose, or plan- choose whichever one resonates with you, but the point is that you really have to want it. The Universe (gods/goddesses, your inborn nature, however you connect) will test you on that, so you be sure you are passionate about what you want. It's what will help sustain you when the obstacles appear.

Next, get rid of self-doubt. This is more difficult for women than men. We're taught from a young age to doubt ourselves and defer to others. A strong, confident woman is more likely to be seen as "bitchy", where a strong, confident man is seen as a leader. Regardless of your gender, skin color, spiritual beliefs, challenges, etc... you get to choose how you see yourself.You also get to choose your purpose in life. Too many of us have spent too much time trying to figure out the "why am I here?" piece of this. Forget that. Figure out who you want to be, and make that happen. Henry Ford once said, "If you think you can or you can't, you're right".  You are the author of your own story. Write it how you see fit, but please, write it with confidence. 

From there, it's learning the art of  stress management*. Stress is a killer, and I mean that literally. It's been proven to destroy the immune system and lead to a multitude of health problems. It's also a huge time-waster. When stressors arise, ask yourself, "In the grand scheme of things, how big is this issue?" Most times, you'll find that it isn't important at all. This too shall pass.

Perseverance is how species survive in nature. Life finds a way. As Pagans, we look to nature to give us guidance on how to live. Take your cue and find your way through. In the words of Marshall Mathers, "Success is my only option- failure's not."   Hang in there!

What tips do you have for going the distance? I'd love to hear from you.

Beannú na déithe's n'aindhéithe ort !
("The blessings of the gods and the non-gods upon you".)

*I'll be offering a Stress Management course in March for those who are interested. Details will be on the Imramma.com site soon.

Thursday's child is a new series of blog posts where I examine what it means "to go far". I hope you'll join me in this exploration each week