Against All Odds: The Power of Persistence

This week a door finally opened that I had been trying to open for so long. I was  heading into unknown territory. The odds were totally stacked against me. There seemed to be nothing working in my favour, yet I kept pressing on.

What makes some people give up whilst others hold on until the prize is won? How do you not give up when everything inside you to tells you to? When it seems your investment is yielding no returns. When your dreams seem a far stretch. "If people aren't laughing at your dreams, your dreams aren't big enough." ~ Robin Sharma

The days leading up to my breakthrough were indeed the toughest. As the famous saying goes " the darkest hour is just before dawn." Well, the storm unleashed its full fury. Everything that could have gone wrong did, and then of course there were the dissenting voices. Friends who I assumed would always be at my side got tired of the fruitless journey. Even those closest to me really didn't understand and thought they were offering supportive advice by telling me to give up. I felt cornered and outnumbered. "Don't let someone who gave up on their dreams talk you out of yours." Unknown.

"Don't let small minds convince you that your dreams are too big."

It became very difficult and I started to question myself; "Is it really worth it?", "Am I wasting my time?", "What if nothing ever happens?" But in those grim moments, it was really my faith in God that took me through. "When life knocks you down you can either stay on the ground and wallow in self-pity, or you can get back up and say this is NOT how the story is going to end. Your dreams were only given to you for a reason. You don't need a co-signer."

“Birthing your dreams is never a painless process. It is the discomfort and pain of the undesirable position you are in that forces you to reach out to something better.” ~ Dr. Moses Simuyemba

Stepping outside of your comfort zone and making bold decisions can be empowering but scary. It definitely takes inner strength and persistence to reach your goal. You will have to believe in yourself and know what you possess. Know the reason Why you are doing this.  Believe big, dream big and the results will be big. Of course you will have to put in the required effort and this may call for big sacrifices. Then finally, reaching your goal calls for patience. This is the part we hate the most but as Warren Buffett said it best, "No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can't produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.”

"The nail that stands out gets hammered down." ~Japanese proverb.

Sometimes setbacks may simply mean you need to re-focus your energies on another path or improve your game plan and seek personal development. In the end though, you become stronger and the lessons learned makes you wiser.

Top 30 Inspirational Quotes to keep you going when the going gets tough:

1. Think positive: "An entire sea of water can't sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can't put you down unless you allow it to get inside you." ~Unknown

2. "Straight roads do not make skilful drivers."  ~Paulo Coelho

3.  "A bend in the road is not the end of the road. Unless you fail to make the turn." ~Helen Keller

4. "Every time you quit, someone else gets your prize." ~Robert Kiyosaki

5.  "No one can destroy iron; but its own rust can. Likewise no one can destroy us; but our own mindset can." ~Ratan Tata

6. "Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind." ~Christian D. Larson 

7. "You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."  ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

8. “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

9. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson.

10. "God will make a way where there seems to be no way." ~Don Moen

11. "All our dreams can come through if we have the courage to pursue them." ~Walt Disney

12. "Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise." ~Victor Hugo

13. "Never loose sight of your dream even if you have to wear glasses." ~Unknown

14.  "No one has the power to shatter your dreams unless you give it to them." ~Maeve Greyson

 15. " Life is not fair get used to it." ~Bill Gates

16. " If your dreams don't scare you they are too small." ~Richard Branson

17. "The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

18. "At any moment, the decision you make can change the course of your life forever. " ~Tony Robbins 

19. "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." ~Milton Berle

20. "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." ~Albert Einstein

21. "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up." ~Thomas Edison

22. "Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” ~Theodore Roosevelt

23. "Obstacles can't stop you. Problems can't stop you. Most of all, other people can't stop you. Only you can stop you." ~Jeoffrey Gitomer 

24. "There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it is going to be a butterfly" ~ Buckminster Fuller

25. "A river cuts through a rock not because of its power, but its persistence." ~Unknown

26. "As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better." ~Steve Maraboli

27.  "Faith is like a radar that sees through the fog." ~Corrie Ten Boom

 28. "The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." ~Thomas Paine

29. "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." ~ Abraham Lincoln

30. "Never, Never, Never Give Up!" ~Winston Churchill

It was then in an instant when all hope was gone everything changed. I was in amazement. I wasn't expecting anything to happen so soon. I was just so focused on my plan and had mentally psyched myself up for the long bumpy road ahead. Yes, it had been like this for quite a while but,  everybody has their day and today was my day.  "Just because something isn't happening for you right now, doesn't mean that it will never happen. You never know what's around the corner." ~ Unknown.

In spite of how many obstacles faced and negative feedback I got, I chose to believe in myself and my dreams and not in others grip of reality. I realized this was My Story and I wanted a good ending. I was indeed pressed beyond all measure yet I chose  not to give up!

Here’s my other latest motivational post you may also be interested in:

• Best Advice: How to Avoid the Human Rat Race

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