“That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Persistence means repeatedly sticking to a specific course of action until you see the results. Perseverance means sticking to a specific belief, goal, strategy, vision or idea with deep felt intention.
These two skills I have found, when used together, are most useful on days when I feel overwhelmed in the business of the day or the length of my to-do list. I can breathe into the moment, in which, lives a creative spiritual intelligence for me to access and activate to bring about a new and more peaceful experience. Once there, I can re-center myself, like the option on google maps, from which I can see a clear path forward on the journey to manifest my intention. This is how I persevere, beginning with the breath, I activate my freewill choice to re-center and course correct. Enter persistence to maintain my attention and focus on repeatedly taking action. Here joy enters my heart, and I remember that indeed, I am on the right path.
I was listening to a show on CBC radio called Personal Best, where in this particular episode an artist who was having a terrible time trying to sell her paintings, which weren’t even hung in a place for public viewing, was given challenge after challenge to master the art of persuasion. She was given diverse challenges all with the same instruction, which was to sell strangers a product that they didn’t know they needed. She didn’t believe she was a salesperson. She didn’t believe in the products. However, through establishing credibility, building relationship, and closing with logical reasoning as to the value of the product, she finally managed to make 3 out of 3 sales, and ended up believing that she had the power of persuasion.
The point of this story is to illustrate that persistence (repetitive action) and perseverance (focusing on one’s intention/goal) were not only key in her success but changed a core belief she had held about herself, until that point in time. She went on to sell her art with confidence and ease. She exchanged doubt and uncertainty about her chosen path as an artist, with sheer creative joy and a sense of empowerment. She knew she could make a good living from what she loved doing, creating and sustaining a richly blessed life that fed her soul and her pocketbook.
Please join us this Sunday as we explore the age old, and often dismissed idea of how to ‘Have your Cake and Eat It too!’