I keep coming back to perseverance. I can't explain why this principal has been at the forefront of my mind recently. Perhaps it's my new business venture, opening a gym and studio with my wife. Perhaps it's the fact that I am learning how to work out differently, or focusing on my grappling. Or even trying to focus on my goal of a world title. This idea is buzzing at the forefront of my mind consistently these past few weeks. It just wont leave the idea is persistent, much like the principal itself.
To persevere is to dedicate oneself to a task, and to do it with care and focus. I find that it is easiest to persevere when I am doing something I enjoy and that requires my attention, usually a hobby. We also persevere at work and what some of us would call obligations. But where we really shine is when we are doing the thing that we enjoy. Athletes endure great amounts of discomfort finishing a workout. Craftsmen and women painstakingly poor over every detail of their project. Readers focus intently on the source material in front of them and so on and so on.
This principal is important to me because it really is the foundation of dedication. Learning a new skill is hard, and requires our complete attention. This is where we get to practice "flow". Being so involved in what we are doing that we operate on instinct alone. And for me to persevere is to discover great joy at the completion of whatever required my attention in the first place.
It isn't just about learning a new skill, it is also about enduring. Being able to bear the hard and uncomfortable things that life throws at us. Every Single. Day. To persevere is to strive to do the right thing, especially when what is right is also beyond difficult. To persevere is to continue to get out of bed every single day and live well in the face of a world that might have other plans for you. To persevere is to face your demons, and to fight your impulses, and to be an example of discipline, hard work, and grace.
When I think deeply about what it means to persevere. I think about being a father, and the weighty responsibility of that role. Being a parent is the single most demanding role of your perseverance. There are waves of joy and elation. Followed by the crushing feelings of not being good enough. Or the sting of anger as you teach a tiny human with out any executive function, to be a good person. There are fights and birthdays and snuggles on the coach. It is a real roller coaster. But we must persevere as parents. We must exercise our ability to endure for the sake of making the world better through our children. Because if we cant endure for them, what can we really endure?
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