"What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it" - Alexander Graham Bell
I recently purchased a copy of William J. Bennett’s book, The Children’s Book of Virtues, and one of its stories I love to read my grandchildren is the fable of the tortoise and the hare. You will remember that the persistent effort of the tortoise paid off in attaining the finish line while the much fleeter hare was enjoying slumber along the trail.
From Pennsylvania to Utah I’ve tried to help my grandchildren understand that no matter how talented we are, persistence is a key ingredient for success in any endeavor we tackle.
The virtue of persistence also applies to the efforts of parents and grandparents to build meaningful connections with our progeny. The father who takes one afternoon off to attend a daughter’s or son’s school or extracurricular activity has made a great initial deposit in his “relationship account” but won’t achieve as much impact as is possible through persistent commitment to make it back for every performance or game.
Persistence pays off.
If you have been guilty, as was I, of not being as persistent in building connections with my children as I wish I had, don’t punish yourself but take comfort in this wisdom:
"Our greatest glory lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall" - unknown
As Charles Kettering, one of the great inventors of the 20th Century, says:
“Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress”
There is a wonderful opportunity lying ahead of each us: the opportunity to strengthen our relational connections. Kettering reminds us, “I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.” We can stumble into a life of relational significance through our persistence. Your children and grandchildren won’t care if you finish first; but they will be forever grateful when you strive to put them first in your list of priorities.
"Where does persistence fit in? Persistent action follows commitment — that is, you first must be committed to something before you’ll persist to achieve it. Once you’ve made a commitment to achieve your goal, then you’ll follow through with relentless determination and action until you attain the desired result" - Jeff Keller
Very, very nicely done!
Posted by: bieber supra shoes | October 17, 2011 at 06:38 PM