Perseverance might not be for everyone

How much perseverance does someone need to pursue a goal? In the case of the Sun's editor, he persevered for ten years to have the accounts of the 1998 Commonwealth Games to be made public. Alas, it is not a happy ending as the directors of Sukom98 who were in charge of the Games have decided to dissolve the company and the public will still not be able to see the accounts. Was it worth all the effort and time to come to the end of the saga in this fashion? Would he choose to pursue such issues in the same manner in future? He answered in the affirmative to both questions as he felt the bigger picture of accountability wins the day hands down. He consoles himself by saying that you lose some and win some.

How many would persevere in other situations? There must be many unknown and unrecorded instances of the ordinary who pursue their goals quietly and doggedly through many years and even decades. That goal to achieve what you believe in keeps you going despite the odds. Would you be desolate and down in the dumps if you have not achieved that goal at the end of the day? Of course you will be disappointed, to say the least but you have to carry on to the next day.

Anyone worth his salt would begin that journey with fiery enthusiasm but tempered with the hard facts of reality. The notion that the rewards would be handed to you without an effort has to be set aside. Be prepared to be sidetracked along the journey since there are others and circumstances that might put a dampener on reaching that goal within your expected time frame. Perseverance in pursuing a worthy cause needs lots of patience and fortitude to see it to the end. Undoubtedly, it can be a long journey and we might not get what we expect. A decision on whether we do have the perseverance to even begin the pursuit has to be made before we take the next step. Once that is decided, the fun begins.

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