Saturday, August 25, 2018

The Power Of Patience And Tenacity Of Purpose

By Debra Nelson


History is liberally sprinkled with individuals that were seen as great leaders, hugely successful business people, exceptional artists and celebrated scientists. May studies have been conducted to try and find out whether all of these exceptional individuals shared certain characteristics, even though their fields of endeavour differed so wildly. There are indeed certain characteristics shared by most highly successful people. Among these, patience and tenacity of purpose stand out as traits absolutely vital to success.

Patient people do not expect immediate success. They know how to deal with difficulties and interference without losing their tempers. They focus on present challenges and they do not fret about looming potential problems. They do not allow their emotions to influence their actions or thoughts and they never blame other people or circumstances for their difficulties. Patient people are not surprised by adversity. They anticipate it and they deal with it.

Many people think that a patient person is one that simply wait for things to happen. This is most certainly not what being patient is all about. Being patient is not about being idle or inactive. Consider the example of a patient farmer. He cannot sit and wait in the hope that a crop will grow. He has to prepare the fields, sow his seeds and nurture the plants. Only then can he patiently wait for results.

A person that is tenacious pursues a specific goal single mindedly. He does not allow himself to become distracted by other people or by difficulties. He believes in his goals and he pursues those goals in the full expectation that he will achieve them. In the process he will never give up or lose hope. His determination is steadfast and nothing will sway him from his course.

Pursuing an impossible or unrealistic goal does not mean that someone is tenacious. For example, setting oneself the goal to prove that the earth is flat is foolhardy, rather than tenacious, regardless of the effort and resources poured into achieving this goal. A tenacious person has realistic goals with realistic target dates. He then pursues this goal with determination and strength of will.

Being patient and being tenacious are both very valuable characteristics but a combination of both is extremely powerful indeed. Such individuals are able to set their goals in motion, take the steps that need to be taken, wait patiently for results and deal with any difficulties on the way. They are able to adapt their approach, to ignore interference and to keep their focus on their ultimate goals.

Contrary to what many people believe, it is perfectly possible to unlearn negative traits and to acquire positive ones. One can definitely learn how to be tenacious and patient. Disciplines such as yoga and meditation can be of great help. There are also numerous internet resources and books on this subject. All one needs is the will to improve in this area.

One should never confuse a truly tenacious person with a foolhardy one without any sense. Neither should one think that a patient person is someone simply waiting for a miracle. These people work hard at achieving their goals and they do not allow anything to deter them from their ultimate purpose.




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