Persistence

 

A man I know who is in his late 60s had a major stroke a few years ago. Doctors told him they were not optimistic about his chances of even partially regaining his previous physical ability. His family made plans to have him institutionalized. With everyone around him shaking their heads in despair at the dreary future ahead for him, he set out to prove them wrong.

He held firm in his belief that he could conquer the latest hurdle life had placed in his path, and he began a program to make his body relearn what it seemed to have been forced to forget. He never lost sight of his goal even when his efforts appeared to be an exercise in frustration. At first, there was little indication that he would ever improve, yet he always made it a point to celebrate even the smallest of victories. It fueled his hope and his desire to persist.

Today, anyone seeing this man for the first time would not believe how dismal his physical condition was just a short time ago. He dared to attempt the impossible by believing that there always is a glimmer of hope whatever the current problem. He persisted in taking very small and painfully slow steps and today rejoices in running.

I so admire people who never lose hope and persist in conquering whatever problem they are facing. These people never give up no matter how dark the sky, and their persistence pays off as they eventually reach their goal. To me, they are winners, the ones who make a difference in this world. We need more of them.

Or as my sister, a woman who has never taken no for an answer, remarked recently, the world would be so much better off with more stubborn people. Amen to that!