"per·se·vere.
VERB
1. continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success:"
As defined by the Oxford Dictionary.
One of my favorite words, Persevere is profound. It elicits a powerful, empowering, and accomplished sense of emotion within me. It describes a struggle, fight, or confrontation between two forces. The winner perseveres. The question is, who are the forces... the players.. the combatants.
When we reflect on experiences with perseverance in our lives, it is not unlikely that we think of these scenarios:
- "The New England Patriots persevered a fourth quarter comeback by the Cleveland Browns, walking away with a victory in Super Bowl whatever;" (I know.. Cleveland Browns don't go to Super Bowls, but you get the idea)
- "Hillary Clinton will persevere the obstacles presented by the criminal investigation and her dishonesty towards the American people, and become the next President of the United States of America;"
It is readily misused, often time jeopardizing the true depth of the word. To cherish the full wealth of the word, its contexts should be appropriate. To retain the value of true perseverance, the weak overuse of the word needs to be eliminated. We need to build the word up... not break it down.
As described above, Persevere is a VERB (Oxford Dictionaries), which is described as an "action, state, or occurrence."
Persevere = Action? YUP. A State (of being)? ABSOLUTELY? An occurrence? NO. For Hillary and the Patriots it was an occurrence; but not for a TRUE Perseverer. Persevering is an internal victory, relived every single day, day after day, for life. It is a life changing sequence of events, not a finite, temporary event. One of the combatants must be oneself internally. Ones mind, one's beliefs, one's self-confidence. It must induce growth.
If you want to persevere and earn the right to use the word, make a life change that comes from your heart. Fight a battle that takes guts, takes inner self discipline, and challenges your determination and will to keep fighting.
Sometimes God gives us these challenges against our will. We face cancers, diseases, and famines. These battles are perseverance worthy. Occasionally we bring them on ourselves. We chase our dreams to the end, we set huge goals and don't rest until we reach them, and sometimes, we make changes that appear minute from the outside, but within our heart and soul, they are mountains for us as individuals.
I challenge you to earn the right to claim PERSEVERANCE. Do something that hurts to accomplish. Step out from the comfort zone and feel the pain, feel the pressure, and feel the discomfort. Let the doubts rear their ugly heads and commit to prove them wrong. Break a sweat. Get butterflies in your stomach. Create a change. What are you ready, wanting, and willing to change?
You have my permission and support to be Free2Persevere.
In the competition of responsibilities in life, we tend to forget about what is most important to our health... us. In a world of confusion and chaos, it can be a lonely journey to optimize your health journey. We can do it together and persevere.
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