The Miracle Of Persistence

What is the miracle of persistence? Many people think persistence is forcing yourself to keep going when you don't feel like it.

But true persistence is much more than that.

Persistence is what happens when you fall in love with a vision.

It is what happens when your dream becomes bigger than your excuses.

It is what happens when what you want becomes more powerful than the obstacles standing in your way.

Throughout history, every great achiever possessed the quality of persistence.

Helen Keller is one of the most inspiring examples.

As a young child, she lost both her sight and her hearing.

Many people would have accepted a life of limitation.

Helen Keller did not.

Through persistence, determination, faith and an unbreakable spirit, she became an author, speaker and inspiration to millions of people around the world.

Her life reminds us that our limitations are never outside of us.

Our greatest limitations are often the ones we accept in our own thinking.

Oprah Winfrey is another beautiful example of persistence.

She faced poverty, rejection, setbacks and criticism.

Early in her career, she was told she wasn't suitable for television.

Many people would have accepted those opinions and given up.

Oprah persisted.

She continued believing in her vision.

She continued growing, learning and showing up.

Today, her influence has touched billions, not millions, but billions of lives around the world.

Her success did not come from avoiding obstacles.

Her success came from persisting through them.

The lesson from both of these extraordinary women is simple.

Circumstances do not determine destiny.