How to Make Your Mark

Life is full of lots of opportunities for us to make a solid mark and it also has situations and circumstances that daily threaten to derail us from our goals and passions. The key to ensuring that we don’t get derailed but stay focused enough to make a mark is persistence. Persistence is the quality or act of continued effort or existence. It is the ability to continue steadfastly or obstinately despite opposition. To be persistent is to remain unrelenting.

I remember reading an article in the late ’90s which said, “In the struggle between the rock and the stream, the stream always wins by persistence”. That quote has become a favorite. Persistence requires willpower. The key to willpower is want-power.  People who want something badly enough can usually find the willpower to achieve it. A key difference between those who succeed in life and those who fail is the ability to persist through opposition and delays.

Here is a story of a man who never quit. I hope that his example will inspire you to continue working towards your goals and dreams. Here we go:

At 22 years old his business went broke. The following year he tried politics but was defeated. He attempted to start another business but failed. The following year a girl friend got sick and died. He won election to state legislature but was defeated in a bid to become speaker. Twice he ran for the United States Legislature and lost. Twice he ran for United States Congress but was defeated (1855 and 1858). He made efforts to become vice-president but was defeated. Yet he persisted and four years later became president of the United States. His name? Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest American presidents of all time (1809-1865).

Persistence translates vision into reality. As Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Always remember that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing’. Persistence will enable you to make a mark. Stay persistent!