Sisyphus Kept Going

"The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success." - David Sarnoff

In Greek mythology Sisyphus was a king who was punished and made to roll a huge rock up a hill, only to watch it roll back down. He repeats this throughout eternity.

The sheer will to keep performing his task has different meanings but maybe in the struggle itself towards greatness is enough to fill your heart. In other words, maybe it is the journey we should be enjoying.

I am pretty sure that Sisyphus was not enjoying his journey but something kept him going. He showed perseverance to continue his struggle over and over again.

We also persevere in our efforts to reach a goal, dream or final destination in life. What we fail to do many times is to enjoy that wide spectrum of activity between starting and achieving. It can be in the "doing of life" that provides us with the most enlightenment and enjoyment.

The achievement itself is wonderful but many times it simply becomes another step to something even greater. It is the journey which continues beyond our achievement and perseverance that keeps us moving forward.

Enjoy your journey and persevere throughout the process. Achievement will only be temporary. The real reward is in the journey itself.

Stay inspired my friends!

What Journey Are You On

Sanctuary Net

"We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are." - Tobias Wolff

Anything we do in life is going to have some level of resistance. That resistance comes in many forms. It will create obstacles in front of us as we attempt to reach a goal, from reaching an accomplishment.

Think of those mundane activities we do such as driving to work each morning. Traffic frustration can be an obstacle to overcome in getting to your place of work. Or maybe it is the check out line at the grocery store with a long slow moving line.

There are also bigger, more important obstacles in life we have to overcome.

A job advancement that you might be struggling to grab hold of. It could be a relationship issue with a loved one. Even greater it could be a death in the family.

There are many and numerous major life events we encounter. Yet everyone of these obstacles represent opportunities to assess and find new paths in our life.

To find motivation in order to overcome the obstacles we face is a part of the process; your particular journey.  And perseverance is key to continuing on that journey..never give up, never give up.

The journey may change, just don't give up on the journey. Overcome those things in life that will try to keep you from achieving your own brand of greatness.

Stay inspired my friends!

Cabin Fever

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other." ~Walter Elliot

To carry on my conversation slightly from a previous day, snow here in the Atlanta area crippled much of the area. For three days schools have been closed and many government and private businesses as well. The roads have remained pretty slick and dangerous to travel upon.

There is relief in sight as the sun makes an appearance today and warmer temperatures are expected the following day. But everyone keeps talking about cabin fever. When will this ever end, will we ever be able to get out and get moving again.

One could say that working towards a goal for your life can have periods of 'cabin fever' also. It is that point in your journey when nothing seems to be working quite right. You hold off on trying anything because you have become discouraged. You huddle and hide behind closed doors in dimly lit rooms wondering what next.

That discouragement is like an ice storm outside, keeping you from moving forward. It keeps you locked up inside while you question yourself and your goals. And the longer it goes on, the more it tightens its grip on you.

The trick is to fight the discouragement and persevere. Instead of allowing yourself to think of what is going wrong, concentrate on what did go right. And if you can't find anything positive up to this point, then focus your energy on new ways, new things, new paths to try.

It takes just as much energy to concentrate on positive steps as it does the negative steps taken. So if you want to "get out of the cabin", then use your energy to find new positive things for your life. You can't change what has already happened.

The past is just that, the past. What you can affect is your future; that is for certain. So put on some snowshoes or maybe some cleated shoes, but either way keep trying. Keep moving forward, keep trying new things, keep advancing towards your best life.

Keeping A Dream

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” - Marie Curie

A couple of good friends of mine here in the Atlanta area are guys that inspire me with their level of perseverance. Guys that I look up to as examples of not letting life beat you down. To continue on despite the difficulty.

Both were hit by the down swing in the job market a couple of years ago. The experts say the job market has rebounded but its certainly a different market. Many that were let go were older employees with higher paying salaries. When the various industries started hiring again, they were looking for young people and much lower salary costs.

In trying to get rehired, each of these individuals has continued to look, to try and reinsert themselves into their fields of experience. Both were very good and the circumstances each faced were beyond their control. So they keep doing what it takes to survive, not only for themselves but mainly for their families.

It can be painful to watch their struggle to regain what was lost. Yet I would never suggest that pain is even close to what they are going through. And every time I see these individuals, they are positive and continuing living each day. My wish is for each of them to find their way back into what it is they each do so well.

For each of us, they are great examples of perseverance in the wake of adverse conditions. Life has an odd and non-discriminatory way of placing burden upon people. Keep after your dream each day.