The definition of persistence is easy. You continue to do something even though it is difficult, going beyond what is normal. The practice of persistence is anything but easy.
When I picture persistence in my mind, I always see the Navy SEALs. They are one of the most elite forces in our military. They’ve earned that reputation from the success they’ve had in their missions and their training.
To make it on the team, you have to first pass the hardest military training in the world. They call it Hell Week. It is five days of wet, cold, hard training on less than fours hours of sleep. The Navy points out that “it tests determination and desire.” And most people fail that test.
During the training the Navy encourages everyone to quit. They make it easy. All you have to do is ring a bell. The bell is always there and is your answer to a warm shower, a meal and sleep. Nobody starts training thinking they will ring the bell, but 75% of them do it before the week is over. For those that make it through SEAL training, they learn a valuable lesson. “They can do 20 times more than they ever thought possible.” You are no different. A SEAL’s physical strength doesn’t matter. What matters is their mental strength. That is the muscle that powers determination. Like a SEAL, you can develop that muscle as well.
While, I am no Navy SEAL, I did have an experience early on that taught me determination and persistence. Every day we would drive from our home to St. Paul’s Elementary School along Highway 141 in Fenton, MO. It was only a few lanes at the time, but with all the growth in the City, they had to expand the road.
I was 13 years old. When I heard about the project the only thing I thought about was how many trees they would have to tear down. In my mind, it was obvious that they would replace every tree. I was naive on this point.
To figure out what was going on I wrote a letter to the City. When I heard they didn’t have plans to save the trees, I decided I had to do something. I replied back to the City and asked that they look into the issue and do something about it. I also wrote a letter to the local newspaper, hoping to raise awareness.
The City replied again and told me they were discussing plans on what they could do. They also pointed out that transportation department would have to get involved. They were the ones that controlled the majority of the land.
After many letters to the City and the Chief Design Engineer of the transportation department, they took action. Between the two groups, they transplanted hundreds of trees. We couldn’t save every tree, but we saved a lot.
I’m sure people thought I was crazy to even try to change such a massive project. I ignored every one of them. Even though I wasn’t a very good writer, I wrote. Even though I didn’t know who was in charge, I took the first step. Even though my chances of success were low, I didn’t stop. Determination, persistence, this is what won the day
I don’t know what you will face as you grow up. I do know this. You will see countless situations where persistence matters.
Make up your mind what you want and go after it. If someone tells you to stop, ignore them. You might also hear a little voice in your head telling you the same thing. Ignore that voice as well. Keep pushing. Keep going.
You are stronger than you think you are. The way to win is to keep going. Go one more step than everyone else. You’ll know you are on the right track when you look up and see everyone else has already stopped. Practice one more free throw, ride one more time around the arena, read one more chapter or try one more time. It matters.
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent won’t; unsuccessful people with talent are everywhere. Genius won’t; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education won’t; the world is full of educated people that do nothing. Persistence and determination are the key. The slogan Press On! has solved and will solve all our problems.” Calvin Coolidge (with a few simplifications from me.)
This post is part of a series of letters to my kids. My goal is to reflect on and capture as many life lessons as possible. Here is the current list I am working from.
