Perseverance is Key to Success

Published October 28, 2010

The following article was written by Edmondson Elementary School Counselor Nancy Rose.  It is a special feature in conjunction with Character Under Construction.

Standing atop the large waterslide at Wave Country with my seven year-old son and 35 assorted wet children chanting, “You can do it! You can do it,” I was unable to muster the courage to travel 80 feet straight down to the tiny speck of water at the bottom.  So as any sane woman is apt to do, I stood at the edge of the precipice for roughly 45 minutes contemplating my certain demise.  As each brave soul who passed offered encouraging words of his or her first trip down the Slide of Doom, I began to consider how I could continue to discuss with my son the importance of perseverance if I didn’t take this opportunity to “walk the talk."

It occurred to me that we are all granted opportunities to persevere every day. Whether it is the lady at the top of the slide, a student struggling to master his multiplication tables, or the adult who faces a life changing event; we all start at the same point.  Never can we prepare to face the real challenges in life unless we conquer the small things.

I was fortunate to grow up with parents who believed that hard work and strength in the face of adversity would pay off in the end.  I was never allowed to walk away from a commitment simply because I didn’t excel in the task.  Whether it is the marathon I choose to run or an illness I may one day face, this upbringing helps me believe I can conquer anything.

John D. Rockefeller once said, “I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance.  It overcomes anything, even nature.”  So after the 46th minute of deliberation and after humming to myself a tune I teach my younger students, "Perseverance, perseverance, stick with it... don’t give up," I finally took that first big step and plummeted at rocket-like speed to the bottom. Did I enjoy it?  Absolutely not!  But now I have a perfect kid-sized example for those days when my son feels it’s "just too hard" or "way too scary".

Certainly my trial on the slide pales in comparison to the issues we all face every day.  But one thing is certain; we never complete the task until we commit to that first step.