Have you ever had one of those times where everything you do seems to be telling you the same thing. I’ve been listening to podcasts from all over and they have all been giving me the same message. My own life has been giving me the same lessons on top of that. If I didn’t know better, I’d think God was trying to teach me something perseverance.
I am listening and studying the audio book, “Think and Grow Rich.” It is a bit too New Age for me, but there are some solid principles. The chapter I listened to yesterday was all about having a plan and that you can only succeed to the level your plan is good. The problem most people run into is that the plan isn’t perfect so they stumble. Once they stumble, they are forced with a decision. Do they adjust their plan and get better or do they quit? Ultimately, the chapter has basically said that you keep your vision in mind and you keep trying until it happens. If you give up, you will never get there. That is perseverance.
One of the podcasts I listen to is “The Secrets To Success” with Eric Thomas, the hip-hop preacher. I love that guy and highly recommend his stuff. The last one I was listening to they were all talking about how it has taken their team some 5 years to get going. BUT ET was working it hard for 12 years before they joined up with him. The time lime is much different than we think it is. Another podcast I listen to a lot is Ed Mylett. He says that the first 5 years of anything is just trial and error. I heard that and almost got discouraged. FIVE years? That is twice as long as I thought it would take to get my feet under me.
Here is why I think it takes so long to get success in something new: Time is the proving ground for your heart. Do you have what it takes to go the distance, or are you selfish and care only about making money? If you just care about money, sure there are some get rich quick gimmicks out there but you will never achieve anything meaningful that impacts people for the long run. If you are trying to do something great, something that makes a real impact on people, your heart must be put to the test. You must burn away all of the selfishness and get to the point that you want to succeed at this thing as bad as you want to breath (as ET says), then you will start to gain traction. That is what perseverance is. It is the ability to finish the trial by fire that is time.
Leave a Reply