Persistence has been defined as firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. Life has been defined as the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.

A few years back I was speaking with someone who had been through two divorces, lost their home after each divorce, and had been laid off a few times in their career from their employer. His relationship with one of his adult children was non-existent and he had become distant from his only brother. Initially, I thought this person was the common denominator of all of these problems. But what intrigued me was how optimistic he was of his future. While he was not happy with what had occurred in his life, he seemed to take things in stride and believed there were better things to come. 

This reminded me of another friend I had who one time told me based on unfortunate events that had occurred in his life, that he learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I thought it was pretty insightful on his part. It was not like he had given up on trying to do better, but he seemed to recognize that sometimes bad things happen to good people. And it’s not what happens, but how you react whether you have a fixed mindset (glass half empty) or growth mindset (glass half full) as Carol Dweck writes in her book. 

Being persistent in the face of challenges and drawbacks is not just something that happens to the common Juan or Jane Doe. There are many famous people who have had to face naysayers and challenges. Walt Disney was once told that he did not have a creative bone in his body. Oprah Winfrey was told she’d never make it on TV. Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken was rejected over 1000 times before his chicken recipe was accepted. President Lincoln failed in business, his sweetheart died, had a nervous breakdown, was defeated in a run for Speaker of the House, and had numerous other defeats before winning the presidency.

It has been said that the biggest weights we carry are our thoughts. We spend a lot of time in our minds, make it a safe space. It is all a matter of perspective. When your mind is weak, a situation is a problem, when it is balanced, it is a challenge, and your mind is strong, a situation is an opportunity.

The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) is the front part of our brain and serves as the executive function of our brain that helps us to collaborate, critically analyze circumstances, and make decisions. Neuroscientists tell us that when we get frustrated or frightened, the PFC is affected, and we actually get dumbed down. Have you ever watched two intelligent human beings argue about something they both believe to have a logical solution? It’s not a pretty sight.