I Am Insanely Proud Of You, Perseverance

Hello there, Perseverance.

To be honest, I don’t know how to approach you, let alone what to tell you.

I’ve always been that reserved type of person, yet when push comes to almost falling off a cliff, you fly in with your gentle breeze and keep me standing on my two feet – sometimes you add in a little bounce.

Perseverance, you were always the brightest light that shines when I’m trudging through the darkness. When things seem unlikely to happen, you somehow make them work, and sometimes better than I or anyone could have anticipated.

I never really paid attention to you until my previous instructors praised me for going above and beyond their expectations and the expectations I had for myself. Back then, I never really believed them. I thought I was doing much more poorly than they believed.

Self-doubt is very strong here.

Looking back at some of the moments that you showed up, Perseverance, I do admit to being shocked at how much influence you’ve had on my doubts. You were much more rambunctious than my doubts ever were.

Thank you.

You pushed me as no one else has. You instructed me to focus on the important values of my work, and most significantly, my purpose. You never slowed down. When one idea failed, you were quick to come up with 5-10 more ideas that were bound to work one way or another.

And when things did settle down, we both took a breather, and you’d excitingly rejoice, “We did it!”  And then I’d timidly admit that you were right and sometimes tear up with happy tears. You’d shrug me off, smile, and go, “What’s next?”

Thank you for never leaving my side. Thank you for keeping things together for the both of us when I’m full-on anxious, worried, and overly dramatic about certain situations.

To this day, I’m still trying to figure you out. One important question that’s been bugging me is ‘Why?’ If you’re my motivation, what is your driving force? How are you so strong and have an immense fighting spirit? We’ve been living the same life for over two decades, and although you’d slip sometimes, you never stayed down for long.

You simply don’t know how to give up.

But, I admire you for this, and I am insanely proud of you, Perseverance.

I don’t know how my life would be if you weren’t around to try, try, and try over and over and over again. You were sometimes like a nagging parent, and sometimes I wished you would keep quiet, but before my mind even knew it, I’d be pushing forward again with whatever challenge I was facing.

You sure are persistent.

But don’t ever change that about yourself.