LIFE! It is quite an interesting journey with many ups and downs along the way. We all need to keep in mind our reason for rising every morning in the midst of life’s proverbial curves.
PERSEVERANCE – steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties,obstacles, or discouragement.
Let us examine each part of the stated definition a little closer.
“steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state”
The word steady connotes a constant, something that is not easily moved or shaken. If any of us shall successfully persevere, we must constantly maintain our position focused on the goal. A purpose is something that innately drives you to continue to move toward an expected end. A constant position or stance is further reiterated with “a state”.
Have you done the hard work yet?
“especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement”
The above circumstances could be deemed viable reasons to throw in the towel, but they should be used to further fuel your drive. The saying goes “the harder the battle the sweeter the victory”. The strength to press on in lieu of all things negative makes you stronger in the process. Discouragement is probably one of the hardest things to overcome because that taps into one’s mentality. The old adage of “words will never hurt me” is one of the greatest myths of our time. The remedy is to speak encouraging words to yourself and fix in your mind to P-R-E-S-S despite all that is facing you.
Perseverance is not allowing EXTERNAL factors to deter your INTERNAL purpose. You hold the key to your destiny and have the tools within to make it a reality.
So which do YOU choose to do today PERSEVERE or QUIT??
One option your future self will thank you for, the other your future self will probably give you a disgruntled side-eye. Ultimately the choice is yours, count the cost and dig deep inside for the better option.
PRESS ON!
Inspiration & Motivation for daily living 
Perseverance, I think, is a lot like patience (of which I do not have an abundance of). I wonder if we could not argue that struggle today is easier or less difficult than it had collectively been in the past. I am not suggesting that there is a dearth of struggle, only that the struggle itself is not as burdensome. My reason: We live in a world of instant gratification. A world where we can post our emotions online and have them soothed in real-time by a large list of family and friends. Because of this I also believe that we have lost our ability to internalize and think on our own. Problem solving is unlike the troubleshooting of years ago; today’s safety net is the network of friends one calls followers. Approval, undoubtedly, is a constant cultural cue that we seek to earn. But where is the known intimacy with which society once grappled issues? Issues that were tangible and visual and nagging? The problems of today are virtual in nature—hardly as threatening. Younger generations, in my opinion, seem to lack the perseverance necessary for self-survival. They crowdsource (outsource) their hardships for others to solve.
WOW! You hit the nail on the head David. I could not agree with you more. Everything these days are microwaved in their lasting ability. A true sense of commitment and just sticking to it and pressing through it is definitely lacking in today’s society. Your example of the rush to social media to pacify all our woes is powerful and very TRUE! Thanks for the response!