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Article Title: Are You Persevering Or Enduring?
Author: Jane Straus
Word Count: 787
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Why try to make a distinction between perseverance and
endurance? In both perseverance and endurance, we may struggle
at times, feel fear of failure or rejection, or worry that we
are not worthy of what we long for. So the distinction between
perseverance and endurance can easily get blurred.
But perseverance and endurance take us down different roads so
they are worth distinguishing. Endurance will lead us to a dead
end whereas perseverance, although it may take us down a long
and meandering path, offers up surprises, serendipity, and
synchronicity.
Endurance can be identified by its symptoms-anxiety, boredom,
self-criticism, addiction, low energy, avoidance, depression,
lethargy-to name just a few that I discuss in Enough Is Enough!
Stop Enduring and Start Living Your Extraordinary Life.
When we habitually wake up in the morning dreading that today
will be a repeat of yesterday and the day before and the day
before that, we are enduring, not persevering. The bad news is
that endurance sneaks up on us. We don't know we're in
endurance until we're pretty miserable. The good news is that,
once we recognize the sources of our endurance, we can say
"Enough is enough!" and begin leading a more fulfilling life.
We endure because we're fearful, self-judging, or believing a
limiting thought. Often, these sources of endurance overlap
such that we are experiencing two or even three of them. We may
be fearful because of a limiting belief. For example, if I
believe that I am not good enough in some way, I may be quite
fearful of putting myself in situations that will likely
trigger this belief.
The problem with latching onto our fears, self-judgments, and
limiting beliefs is that they constrict us. How can I have new
experiences that debunk my limiting belief about being unworthy
if I avoid situations that have the potential of making me
realize I was wrong? Instead, in endurance, I will get to be
right.and miserable.
Perseverance isn't necessarily any less challenging than
endurance, but it does lead someplace new and different.
Instead of being right and miserable, we get to be surprised
and excited about life.
So what is perseverance? It is our willingness to commit to our
spirit's longings no matter what! No matter what fears,
self-judgments, and limiting beliefs pop up to distract us or
try to protect us from humiliation. Perseverance is committing
no matter what others say the odds against our achieving our
goals are. No matter what we have told ourselves about being
too old, too young, too uneducated, too busy, or too poor.
Perseverance is choosing to pay attention to our spirit rather
than to all the chatter that has stopped us from living our
extraordinary life.
Perseverance is like buying a car. When we purchase a new
vehicle, we suddenly see the same car in greater numbers on the
road. This isn't because more people bought the same car on the
same day we did, is it? It's because our attention is now
focused differently from where it was before. Wherever we focus
our attention dictates what we see and experience. If we focus
on our fears, self-judgments, and limiting beliefs, it's like
putting blinders on. These are all we will see and experience.
On the other hand, if we focus on listening and attending to
our spirit's callings, we will see and experience extraordinary
new people, events, feelings, and thoughts.
As soon as we shift from endurance to perseverance, we allow
surprise, serendipity, and synchronicity to help our spirit
along. We are now saying "yes" to the Universe, which expands
our peripheral vision and gives us a new view of potentials and
possibilities. Perseverance requires three things: a willingness
to listen to ourselves, a willingness to be wrong about our
prior fears, self-judgments, and limiting beliefs, and the
courage to be explorers.
The first two requirements must come from within. The third
one-courage-we can allow others to support us in. Find people
who listen to their own spirits, who have beaten odds, live
joyfully, and find compassion for themselves and those around
them. These are your mentors and your heroes and heroines.
Many of us wait to listen to our spirit until tragedy or
illness strikes. My wake-up call came in the form of a brain
tumor. But we don't need to wait to allow ourselves to be
inspired. Let today-your child's smile, your urge to paint, the
sun warming your skin, a desire to help someone in need-be
enough.
About The Author: Jane Straus is a trusted life coach, dynamic
keynote speaker, and the author of Enough Is Enough!: Stop
Enduring and Start Living Your Extraordinary Life. With humor
and grace, Jane offers her clients and seminar participants
insights and exercises to ensure that the next chapter of their
lives is about thriving as the unique individuals they have
always been and the extraordinary ones they are still becoming.
She serves clients worldwide and invites you to visit her site,
http://www.stopenduring.com. She is
also the author of The Blue
Book of Grammar and Punctuation, http://www.grammarbook.com,
an
award-winning online resource and workbook with
easy-to-understand rules, examples, and exercises.
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