Persistence

By definition, to persist is to continue firmly or steadily when faced with opposition; to prevail or endure. Many of us mistakenly relate this to the physical world, interpreting this to mean when we face physical opposition to what we are trying to achieve we must force the issue by trying harder and continuing stubbornly on in the direction we were headed.

This interpretation of persist usually leads to frustration and failure. It is akin to trying to experience water by grasping it in our hand—the harder we squeeze, the more water eludes our attempts. We must work with the laws of water and relax our hand in the water to achieve the experience.

To realize our successes, it is essential we remain flexible, and able to recognize, act upon and change our game plan when the opportunity presents itself. Persistence is not a physical thing. It is mental. Persistence begins in our mind. The physical actions leading to our results are the effects of our persistence or focus of thought in our mind.

To be persistent then, is to hold firmly in our mind that thought which will lead us to our worthy ideal no matter our current circumstance or environment. It is in a relaxed state we hold our thoughts. Knowing that once a thought seed is planted in our subconscious mind it has no choice but to bring it to fruition in our physical world. There is no worry or doubt, for we understand these fears lead to frustration and anxiety, cutting off our supply of good. Persistence of thought and faith, along with praise and gratitude, is what is required.