Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Chapter 9 – The Eighth Step towards Riches
Persistence
Persistence is the act of determination to see a goal through to the end. Not giving up no matter what obstacles you face. We all have obstacles in life but we have a choice to make. You can let the obstacle overwhelm you and win or you can fight back and continue until you’ve reached your goal. Without persistence you will be defeated. When I began to doubt myself, I let fear take over. I gave up and was defeated by some obstacles that might have been overcome if I had been persistent and fought for my dream. I gave up and crawled in a ball and cried. I let our financial challenges win and ended up losing everything. If I had determination and persistence to continue on and make sure it didn’t happen, it would not have happened. Now I know better and I will never make that mistake again! I thought that life was just going to take care of me and I’d live happily ever after, but I have since realized that I have to create my happily ever after.
Having persistence is the key to reaching success. You can set goals, have a plan, and believe they are going to happen but the first time you are stopped with a road block, you will not go any further unless you are persistence. I love hearing about famous stories of persistence. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team but he didn’t let himself be stopped. He kept on fighting for his dream and look where he ended up. Thomas Edison was told he was too “stupid” and “unteachable” to continue school but he knew otherwise and set out to show the world what happens when you believe in yourself. He didn’t let the words of a teacher stop him from achieving great things. Walt Disney was told he lacked creativity and was fired from his job at a newspaper. He went on to build an animation company that went out of business, created a cartoon character that was stolen from him by others without getting credit for his work. Instead of throwing in the towel and giving up he had a vision to create a film for a novel called “Mary Poppins” but it took him 16 years to persuade the author to sell him the rights. A movie that is a classic to children and adults all over the world. He obviously believed in himself despite what others said about him. How different would this world be without Walt Disney and his ideas and creativity. Just think of what this world would’ve missed if any of these men listened to what they were told, how different would our life be?
How much of an impact will you make on those people around you? But remember: Never ever, ever give up!
To Your Success,
