If your story is anything like mine, you’ve been through some things you had to persevere through. I want to encourage you today to keep pushing, because through perseverance, we are better positioned to reach our purpose.
In 1992, Tyler Perry debuted a show he saved up $12,000 from doing odd jobs to do. That show received little attention and sent him into extreme poverty. He is now listed in Forbes as the highest paid man in entertainment, earning $130 million from 2010 - 2011. Viola Davis described herself as having “lived in abject poverty and dysfunction” during her childhood, recalling that she lived in “rat-infested and condemned” apartments. She now is the 1st black actress to receive an Academy Award, Emmy Award, and 2 Tony Awards, listed twice by Time magazine as one of the “100 most influential people in the world”.
In the midst of every challenge you have had, you had to make a decision. Do I push forward? Do I try to find my peace? Do I take some time to grieve? Do I give up? Do I try to be resilient? If I push forward, how will I do it?
I want to remind you that your ability to identify when persevering is in your best interest, and then your ability to persevere through those things that you need to persevere through, will ultimately lead you closer to your personal and professional purpose.
I remember having work experiences as an employee where I persevered through unhealthy work environments and got promoted or kept my job through layoffs. In business, I went from making $72 my first month to hitting above my highest paying job’s monthly income in monthly revenues this year. Personally, there have been days, months, or years in my past that were extremely tasking, but pushing through allowed me to be able to walk in my purpose and impact others’ lives as a coach, speaker, and trainer.
You too have the opportunity to persevere. We all do. We all have the ability to problem solve the challenges that come in the way of our dreams or goals. We all have the ability to utilize the resources around us, within our communities, in our support circles, in books, and online to push past challenges to persevere.
You can do this.
Take some time this week to identify what perseverance looks like to you, and then make it happen regularly!
Your future will thank you for it!
If this post was helpful, please feel free to email me at daphne@daphnevalcin.com and let me know, and as usual, please feel free to share with friends or family you feel could benefit from it.
Photo credit: Philipp Knape