Perseverance
Every issue I publish has stories about people who defy the odds, who come back from the brink of despair or disaster and keep on going.
As Laurie Mueller mentions in her column, some of that defiance and resilience comes with age and experience. But much of it comes from character.
Whether learned from a parent or friend, or drawn from inner resourcefulness, perseverance is a quality that not only overcomes adversity, but it dulls the sting of criticism.
It’s the quality that author John Thomson explores in his profile of literary champion, Alma Lee. It’s also evident in the grit and determination that drove our featured personality, Miranda Esmonde-White, to put it all on the line to make a difference in the fitness industry.
Life isn’t always easy. Sometimes you have to take a step back, shed some tears, or reach out to a friend who provides a safe space to vent. Sometimes you just have to hold the pain and frustration inside, wrap your own arms around yourself, and tell yourself everything will be okay. There are even times when wisdom and truth require you take a different course.
Life often demands that we be uncompromising in the pursuit of our goals — holding the criticism from others at bay and even quieting the critical voices inside our own heads.
How often do we tolerate others pressing their hostile emotions and biased thoughts upon us, disrupting our peace and stifling our creativity?
How often do we allow our own negative emotions and unruly thoughts to drown out our desires, our yearning to do or be something? The “enemy” is often not some external entity, but a deeply engrained covert operative, waiting inside our own minds, ready to pounce like an assassin and destroy our determination to forge ahead.
I often catch myself hesitating to act, as if I need a magical permission slip before I can move forward. When I finally realize the only barrier standing in my way is myself, I can’t help but marvel at the deceitfulness of my own mind, which tries to control, limit, and divert me from my intended path.
So what’s the remedy? How do we stop these mental combatants from controlling our future, shattering our peace and rendering us ineffective? The key, I think, is in acknowledging that we hold the ultimate power.
Thoughts and emotions are fleeting, often mere stale byproduct of past experiences. These shadowy forces lurk, ever ready to jump into action. When given free rein, they can create havoc in our emotional landscape.
But simple observation can reveal their presence and send them scuttling back to the recesses from where they came. Taking a moment to differentiate between what is now and what is the past can set you free. When you uncouple yourself from past regrets and failures, you realize you have an empty canvas on which to paint your future.
If we want to create a better world, we have an obligation to hold ourselves to higher standards — to resist threats, greed and divisiveness. To challenge the negativity of our minds.
I believe it’s our obligation to repair fences, build bigger tents, and level the playing field so everyone has a chance to make the most of the opportunities available. And just to be clear — pursuing an opportunity is very different from being an opportunist. We must make that distinction.
While the world may sometimes appear like it is spiralling out of control, I am still optimistic that the majority of people support the betterment of all.
This issue offers stories of everyday people who made it a mission to keep going in the face of adversity, who see the accumulation of years of experience as a blessing.
This is why I love publishing this magazine. I’m constantly inspired by people who overcome the negativity of the world and the hesitation of their own mind — and do it anyway.
So, don’t give up! The world needs your story! |
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