“The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they while their companions slept
Were toiling upward in the night.”
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
I’m a wimp. The minute the going gets tough or it’s just not fun anymore, I quit.
This year I’ve fought through that (in teeny, tiny, baby steps) and learnt to persevere: to suck it up from time to time and just keep going. This required a lot of diligence, and I’ve had to push myself to keep making an effort.
Honestly, it’s paid dividends. I’ve finished things I’d normally put off, I’ve passed exams I would have otherwise failed, I’ve achieved a lot – and more than that, I’ve had the kind of confidence that only comes from knowing that there’s nothing more you could have done, of knowing that I’ve done my best.
And that’s a very nice feeling indeed.
I have a tendency to kind of throw in the towel on things when they get too tough, too, but have gotten better about this as I get older. I used to gravitate towards things that came easy to me, but as I get older, I realize I will never change/grow if I don't take on new/challenging things that push me outside of my comfort zone.
ReplyDelete