I’ve recently begun studying through “Think & Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill with several of my fellow John Maxwell Team colleagues. We’re being led through this study by the President of the JMT, Paul Martinelli, who has taught this material thousands of times around the world and his book is literally held together by a binder clip!
If you’re unfamiliar with this book, it is a classic that was originally published in 1937. It is a philosophy on success that resulted from a 20-year study of more than 500 affluent men and women. The late, great Andrew Carnegie challenged Napoleon Hill to accomplish this project.
I first read this book a couple of years ago and I wasn’t quite sure what to do with the principles. Two years (and much growing) later, I’m seeing things much more clearly. One of our first assignments is to read the chapter on PERSISTENCE once a day for 14 days straight. And if you miss a day, you have to start your 14-day streak over!
Why would someone assign such a task? To test how persistent you are, of course!
Let me share a few quotes from Hill’s chapter on this critical principle:
“The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard, and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. A few carry on despite all opposition until they attain their goal. These few are the Fords, Carnegies, Rockefellers and Edisons.”
“Without persistence, you will be defeated, even before you start. With persistence you will win.”
“Be persistent no matter how slowly you may, at first, have to move. WITH PERSISTENCE WILL COME SUCCESS.”
“THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PERSISTENCE! It cannot be supplanted by any other quality! Remember this in the beginning and it will hearten you when the going may seem difficult and slow.”
So, why am I sharing this with you today? Because PERSISTENCE is required to be successful in ANY area. And here’s the good news – it is available to ALL of us!
PERSISTENCE is not a gift or skill that you have to be born with. It is a quality that any of us can develop and exhibit.
How? Practice it DAILY!
While it’s available to all of us, most people don’t display this quality. Why?
Because it is a discipline that we have to commit to. It is something we have to fight for. It is something that we can be easily distracted from doing.
Self-Assessment – How PERSISTENT are you? Do you keep going when things become difficult or when distractions fly your way? Or do you give up and move on to other endeavors?
Whether or not you display persistence will determine the level of success that you experience. Don’t be the person who gives up just before succeeding. Keep moving forward. One step in front of the other. Don’t worry as much about speed as you do about progress. Remember in the childhood story, the Tortoise beat the Hare. Why? PERSISTENCE!
Be Intentionally Great today by displaying PERSISTENCE!
