Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. In life there is no way to learn anything worthwhile except by making mistakes. All the performances of human art, at which we look with praise and wonder, are instances of the resistless force of perseverance.”
Once a six year old boy, taught me a great secret for success in life. Seeing him cycling away quite confidently, I asked him how he learnt cycling at such a young age. He replied without a moment’s hesitation. “That was simple. Every time I fell down, I got up and cycled again. Again, if we want to make progress in life, we will have to face many obstacles. When Charles Dickens began to write, no publisher was willing to take his manuscripts. But he persevered, continued to write in poverty until his novels got published. Today, he is acclaimed as one of the greatest novelists in English literature.
A farmer was blessed with riches and comfort. He was the owner of large vineyards, which he maintained through hard work. He had no problems, except for his three sons who did not like to work. On his death bed, he decided to teach his sons a lesson. He called them to him and said: “After I’m gone, sons, everything I have is yours. In the vineyards you will find a great treasure. That, too, is yours.” Shortly after, the farmer died. The sons after grieving for him, thought of finding the treasure. They thought the treasure to be of gold, or silver or perhaps precious stones. They worked very hard. No matter how hard they dug around the vines, no treasure was to be found. Disappointed, the sons gave up, at last. They decided that their father must have been mistaken.
However, shortly later, grapes began to appear in the vineyard. They were soon growing in plenty. The sons realized that the good crop was the result of their hard labour of digging the soil. The treasure was the good crop. Set your mind to do every task well. Be determined to finish whatever you have started. You will find great joy and satisfaction in life if you can learn to overcome your difficulties and persevere patiently.
Do not be afraid to demand great things of yourself. Powers which you never dreamed you possessed will leap to your assistance. If each one did his or her best, that should have been enough. God accepts what we are able to give. God simply asks for our ‘best’, a ‘best’ that may not yet be perfect.
