The Forgotten Art of Perseverance
“Unfortunately, the uncertainty of ‘when’ kills more dreams than death.”
I’m learning that, strive as we may to direct our lives, we can’t possibly know what they will present to us in the long term. Even so, we have to continue pressing forward; putting our nose to the grindstone, so-to-speak. Somehow, through a continual effort of ‘aiming upward’ (as Jordan Peterson might say), we’ll find that life, while difficult and unpredictable, does improve, and with it, our desire to more faithfully negotiate it.
Inside the mind of a creative…
Lately, I’ve been wrecked with emotions about my own trajectory as a business owner, and as a human being who wants nothing more than to contribute honestly and meaningfully to our larger human experience.
There are days when I ask why I even pursue my path as a writer. There are others when I am certain that I am on the right track as a creative human being desirous of social impact and economic viability. The days in which I question my journey are difficult to negotiate.
On these days, while I go through the motions of exercising, eating well (mostly), studying and developing my craft, it is still easy to doubt. Fortunately, I doubt less if I take care of my mental and physical health.
When I’m sure of myself and what I want to offer the world, I’m full of energy and execute upon grand ideas about how I’ll create wealth and opportunities for myself and others. I and other driven creators wish we could remain in such a state of creative bliss always. However, any number of factors–some within our control, others not–dictate our moods and our ability to stay grounded as we move further into our chosen paths.
My mind tells me that the world will continue to churn along as it always has, progressing through its cycles of birth, growth, decay, and regeneration. My spirit, however, tells me that we are a sallow and scrofulous race of beings desperately seeking some semblance of meaning; meaning we seek out by any means necessary.
Meaning is not the same as value
We work. We celebrate. We sleep. We eat. We love. We fight. And we die. These phenomena are all inextricable parts of the human experience. Yet, if we are still within and quietly inquire of ourselves whether we are fulfilled, many of us, if we are honest, will admit that we feel an empty hollowness, perhaps even a numbness inside.
This feeling appears to me to be the offspring of an ever-present quandary, one which intermittently confounds even the most self-assured; it is a silent suggestion which begs the questions: what are we really doing with our lives? Why are we here? What is the meaning of it all?
In our search for truth, we realize that a better question is, ‘what is worth valuing in this life?’ For instance, we can ascribe different meanings to (or uses for) a vehicle–scrap parts, business advertisement tool, a home. However, there is universal acceptance and a realization that a car’s intrinsic value is in its ability to transport us from one place to another.
And when a car is assessed and appraised, it is done so with the car’s ability to transport us in mind. Ultimately, the vehicle is valued based on how long it will be mechanically able to transport us. It’s other uses (meanings) are not relevant in terms of its highest or most essential utility to the most humans. This is the distinction between meaning (potential uses) and value (essential utility for humans).
What is Worth Doing?
In essence, we must constantly determine what is most valuable to us and what is worth pursuing. What brings us the joy of creative bliss and long-term fulfillment?
The challenge here, particularly for high energy multi-creative types, is that we value many different expressions of value. And because we inhabit a world in which just about everyone values money, multi-faceted creatives (perhaps foolishly) tend to look for ways to use each of their creative talents to offer value for everyone else. For these people, the end goal is impact and a measure of material success that allows them to continue offering their creative value. In a word, we are looking for self-sustenance.
If we could sustain ourselves with our creative output, most of us would find life more fulfilling. Perfect? No. Because whatever perfect might mean, life is not designed to predictably behave as everyone wishes it to. However, we’d gain more joy from life if we were adequately paid to do work we found meaningful, and that others found valuable and impactful.
So where does this leave us? Well, as I stated at the beginning of this piece, I think we all have a duty to continue pushing forward as best we know how, even if we aren’t yet being paid to do what brings us joy. The only way to get to a destination is to keep going, right? We won’t always be at our best, nor will we have the energy to be. After all, we are all fallible, and depending on the day, not so dependable.
However, work done which represents our best selves lasts a lifetime. Even in what seem to be your least promising moments, it is wise and even reinvigorating to take stock of what you’ve accomplished. This is something akin to what David Goggins refers to in his cookie jar analogy.
The art of perseverance
Perseverance is an art, and it is a forgotten one. Too often, we lose sight of the road ahead and give up the journey. I’ve given up on several endeavors. I’d start them again, beginning afresh with hopeful thoughts of becoming successful. The road would again become rocky, and I’d again stop. I couldn’t see that my failures were always due to momentary lapses in clarity and grit.
This is a problem that many creatives face around their work. Unfortunately, the uncertainty of “when” kills more dreams than death. And although we can theoretically always get back on the road toward our dream, when we stop, we lose time, motivation, and momentum. This is why I’m of the opinion that perseverance is a lost art.
In our depression, we can’t see that each new piece of output, session of work done, or time invested in service of our ultimate aim is a small victory on our journey toward greatness. Remember, acknowledge your past wins when you are down. Don’t sabotage your peace by needlessly comparing yourself to the successes others.
I’ve had to remind myself of these truths often, and David’s cookie jar analogy has saved my life countless times. It’s so easy to tear yourself down in moments of frustration. My motto when this happens is: at least, if you aren’t able to move forward, don’t move backwards. I’m practicing perseverance. And for now, it seems to be working.
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