We’ve all read quotes that address perseverance. So ubiquitous that attributions are rarely made, they convey oversimplified judgments of complex, personal situations. When analyzed, the underlying premise of these “inspirational” quotes can be categorized three different ways:
One that equates a lack of perseverance to failure:
“There is no failure except in no longer trying.”
“Pain is okay. Giving up is not.”
“If you give up, it means you never wanted it.”
“Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” (Vince Lombardi)
One that questions the nature of perseverance:
“There is a difference between giving up and knowing when you have had enough.”
“One of the hardest things in life is deciding whether you should give up or try harder.”
“Before you give up, think about why you held on so long.”
And another that positions failure as necessary for personal or professional growth.
“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.”
“I never lose. I either win or learn.” (Nelson Mandela)
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” (Thomas Edison)
“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” (Henry Ford)
Reading these quotes, do you have any emotional reaction? What in your life comes to mind? Which quote, if any, best represents your perspective? What does that say about your optimism for the future, or your rationalizations for your present circumstances?
What’s the use of patience and perseverance applied to the wrong course of action?
Pursuing your career, you have limited resources to invest: time, money, work, etc. The concept of opportunity cost, that you sacrifice the potential of other alternatives when you choose one alternative, makes your decision-making process that much more important. Many questions arise that require your personalized and introspective answers. How do you choose what to pursue? How much of your resources should you commit? How do you measure progress? Who or what determines whether you’re successful or not?
The most cautious among us would not pursue a course of action without a reasonable expectation of success.
Encouraged to “dream big” and “follow your passion,” you tackle new projects with enthusiasm. But if you don’t achieve success as quickly or easily as expected, how do you know whether your continued efforts will be worthwhile? You don’t know for sure, which forces you to evaluate how comfortable you are with uncertainty, how confident about taking risks and how threatened by the possibility of failure.
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou
Is someone advising you to quit, to stop trying? You don’t need their permission to do what’s best for you. Finding balance between patience and passivity, perseverance and stubbornness, you will learn to adapt and discover giving up can be liberating. You’re free to do something else.
An earlier version was published by Beauty Cast Network.