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.

Being patient means that one has the ability to wait, to face problems and to deal with them calmly, to endure difficulties without annoyance and to refuse to allow circumstances or other people to make one lose faith. A patient person does not complain or try to blame others for his problems. He deals with them. This is a very helpful skill and only people that know how to be patient can actually deal with the many frustrations that life routinely offers.

Patient people should not be confused with lazy people hoping for a miracle to occur. A salesman, for example, will never get a sale if he just sits and wait for the phone to ring or for a customer to walk in. He has to identify and talk to potential clients, distribute marketing material and implement appropriate marketing strategies before he can patiently wait for results.

A tenacious person is someone that can perhaps best be described as determined, as someone with strength of will. Tenacious people are single minded and they do not allow anyone or anything to detract them from their purpose. They know precisely what it is that they want to achieve and they pursue that goal without giving up or without becoming side tracked.

Being tenacious does not imply being foolhardy. Someone setting out to become the supreme ruler of the universe is foolhardy, even if he spends every ounce of energy and vast resources in his efforts to achieve his goal. Tenacious people have realistic and achievable goals. They do not allow difficulties or problems to stand in their way and they see the achievement of their goals as inevitable.

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.

Many people see tenacious people as difficult and single minded. Similarly, they see patient people as lazy individuals hoping for miracles to occur. In reality, tenacious and patient people are the ones that inevitably achieve their goals. They know what they want and they go for it.




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