The Importance of Persistence In Personal Development

Persistence Needs To Be Applied With a Deliberate and Considered Approach To Your Personal Development

When it comes to your own life and self development, it is necessary to eliminate the concept of "failure" from your thinking. 

Instead, treat any perception of failure as a mere setback and as a learning opportunity experience.

Persistence is the willingness and resilience to keep pressing on, even when you feel like your stores of commitment, determination, optimism, and passion are all but dried up. Take comfort in the knowledge that these internal wells of personal strength, courage and energy will never be totally empty, even when it might seem so. 

7 Key Elements of Life Full of Adversity and Challenges 

Many battles require physical, emotional and/or spiritual strength to win. Some battles, however, also require persistence. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

Having an indomitable will ─ an innate and deep-seated capacity for persistence and perseverance ─ can make all the difference in the world.

As Buddha said, "In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins ─ not through strength but by perseverance."

As they are for the streams and rivers in this world, persistence and perseverance can be the roots of your own victories over confrontations, adversity and the obstacles, hurdles, problems, difficulties, and obstructive people that you will come across on your personal journey through this thing we call life. 

We have more thoughts on personal growth and development, plus hundreds of motivational quotes, in our book Project You: Words of Wisdom. It is available at Amazon in paperback ($6.45) and Kindle ($3.88) formats. 

This article is partially excerpted from our top-ranked personal development book Project You: Living A Determined Life, which is also available in Kindle and paperback formats at Amazon. 

From Self Discovery to Self Understanding

Only you know and understand what you can become

The foundation of your own self definition will be expressed in your own self image. What you project to the world, and to yourself, reflects how well you understand yourself. The better this understanding, the greater will be the satisfactions you feel and experience.

For, as the acclaimed actor Sir John Gielgud said, "One's self-image is very important because if that's in good shape, then you can do anything, or practically anything."

Remember, there is nothing obvious or apparent in a caterpillar that foreshadows it becoming a butterfly. Only the caterpillar knows it is going to be a butterfly. Likewise, only you know and understand what you can or will become.

As Buddha said many times, "be a lamp unto yourself," so that you have the insight and understanding of a caterpillar. 

And in doing so, always recall the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing; others judge us by what we have done."

This planet is a laboratory of experiences and an infinite university of potential learning for the evolution of our souls. 

Use these experiences and lessons to cultivate a deeper, richer self understanding and you will find a greater balance and harmony in the spirit of your true self. 

This article is excerpted from the top-selling personal growth and development book Project You: Living A Determined Life, available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. 

Know Thyself

Know Yourself / Define Yourself

Know Thyself.

Those words, inscribed in gold letters on the temple of Apollo at Delphi, are probably the most important two-word phrase ever written.

Know thyself is a two-step process comprising self awareness and self understanding. 

Self awareness is a heightened sense of continuous attention to one's feelings, emotions, and thoughts. 

Self understanding is being aware of your thoughts about your feelings, emotions, and thoughts -- and being mindful of the impact these are having on your contemplated, intended, or actual actions. 

When combined and integrated, these two steps lead to self definition.

Here are some quotes from our book Project You: Words of Wisdom we hope will help motivate you to better knowing and defining yourself:

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. Buddha

Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your handbrake on. Unknown 

Make it thy business to know thyself, which is the most difficult lesson in the world. Miguel de Cervantes 

We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter. Denis Diderot 

The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself. Lao-Tzu

Yes, you need not do anything but be yourself. But first, you have to know and define yourself.

And that will be one of the most fascinating journeys you ever take.

Bon voyage!  

This article is partially excerpted from Project You: Words of Wisdom, available in paperback and Kindle formats at Amazon.