When I was 5, I loved playing school, and of course, I was always the teacher. When I graduated from college, I became a math teacher and taught 7th grade math through pre-calculus. I loved so much about teaching! Fast forward through many career evolutions, and the one thing that I am still drawn to is teaching in many forms (training, coaching, lifelong learning, retreats, personal & professional development, supporting, helping, etc.) I have persisted in this dream of teaching, although it looks vastly different than my original, traditional classroom setting variation.
Rachel Hollis, the entrepreneur/author/speaker/blogger, has a documentary on Amazon Prime called "Rachel Hollis Presents: Made For More". I watched the documentary and actually did one of the steps that she recommended: writing a letter to yourself from the point of view of your persistence. As I wrote the letter this past March, I revisited some of the times when my persistence paid off. This weekend, 4 months later, I revisited that note in my journal and wanted to share this sentence: "'No' is just a word and has no power until you let it." I believe that "No" is just a step in the journey to get to the "Yes" in your life.
Persistence acknowledges that there may be obstacles or stumbles or slowing down or even an answer of "no". It is also about working through, around, in spite of those stumbles. I think of babies who are learning to walk - they keep stumbling and getting back up over and over and over. They learn to walk.
This quote from Angela Duckworth, grit researcher, sums up persistence beautifully:
" ...grit is about having what some researchers call an 'ultimate concern'–a goal you care about so much that it organizes and gives meaning to almost everything you do. And grit is holding steadfast to that goal. Even when you fall down. Even when you screw up. Even when progress toward that goal is halting or slow. " - Angela Duckworth
Try writing a letter from the point of view of your persistence and consider these prompts:
Opening line: "I am your persistence and this is what I need to tell you".
What is your "ultimate concern" or goal or dream in life?
When have you heard the word "no" and used it as a springboard to something else or something better?
How have persistency and consistency shown up in your life?
How are you called to serve this world?
How has your persistence paid off?
What is your persistence telling you?
I would love to know the insights you gained from this exercise!
Links that may be of interest