The Power of Persistence

There have been so many stories of great men today who had doors shut on their faces several times before they became successful.

Persistence is what differentiates a successful person from a not so successful one, whether it’s financial success or otherwise. When you step out to seek a job, there is a less than 1% chance that you will be hired on the first try. It is however your persistence that will get you even an interview or the job.

When I was hired at a certain company a while back, I found that everyone was doing everything HR related. It was my duty to collect all the HR functions in one basket and get on with the job. I must say it was not easy, at some point, I wanted to quit because of the resistance. I however swore to ensure I run a functioning HR department, not just by name, but by the functions. So I persistently pushed until there were tremendous changes.

As a karateka, I can tell you that I have been beaten by an opponent severally and I almost swore not to return to the tatami. Then again, I don’t like to quit on things half way so I have made a choice to put on that Gi and walk into the Dojo often, so I can perfect my technique.

The Holy Bible tells the story of a woman who went to seek justice from an unjust Judge. When he didn’t attend to her, she just kept coming until the Judge was so tired of her, he decided to grant her justice, just to get rid of her. That’s the spirit of persistence we all must have while in pursuit of our dreams.

Persistence the ability to wake up in the morning and face that challenge one more time with a renewed spirit. It is the decision to never quit regardless of the circumstances. So just before you make a decision to hang your gloves, make sure that you have given it your all.