The importance of perseverance

Fall down seven times, stand up eight.
– Japanese proverb

One evening, my daughter was growing frustrated with her math homework.

She had tried several times to solve an equation but couldn’t get the correct answer, despite working intently on the problem.

I watched her struggle a bit – but she didn’t give up. She took a deep breath, worked on it some more and eventually found the answer.

She persevered.

For most of us, life frequently brings simple frustrations, and occasionally, far more complex problems. Our willingness to continue to try our best, even if we don’t succeed at first, goes a long way in determining not only our immediate success but our long-term happiness.

One of my daughter’s favorite book series is the Harry Potter saga written by J.K. Rowling. The author sent her manuscript for the first book to 12 different publishers before one accepted it. Imagine how easy it would have been for Rowling to give up trying to find a publisher after her first rejection (or her tenth). She could always say she tried but didn’t succeed. Instead, she persevered — and went on to write a total of seven Potter books, the best-selling book series of all time.

Life knocks all of us down sometimes. Some people choose to stay on the ground and quit. Other people stand up, dust themselves off and try again. Those who rise give themselves a new chance to succeed.

You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish if you persevere.