By Lois E. Wilson
People try something such as eating a new food, learning a new task or skill. At this first attempt, they are not always successful. Do they persevere, persist in their efforts—or do they give up and quit?
I was about six when I tried to eat an olive. I made a face and said, “Ugh! That tastes terrible! I don’t ever want one of those again!”
My father said, “Eat seven of them and see if you still dislike them.” I frowned, but accepted his challenge and ate seven. And what do you know? I thought they tasted pretty good. His lesson to me was that persistence can often have a positive outcome.
The words “persist” and “perseverance” are considered to be synonyms. But I think of them in a slightly different way. “Persist” is to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of opposition, demand, or warning. Besides the above, “perseverance” indicates that it led you to your goal.
Most all of us have some level of competitiveness within us. It is especially evident in athletes. At the Olympics it is often announced that a result is a specific athlete’s personal best, or a new national, Olympic or world record. These are goals some have probably had most of their lives.
Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammed competed against each other at the 2019 World Championships. Muhammed won the 400m hurdles. It was a new record. At this year’s USA Olympic Trials, McLaughlin showed she no longer wanted to be second. She became the first woman ever to break 52 seconds in the hurdles. Muhammed came in second.
In 1912 Jim Thorpe, representing the United States, competed in both the high jump and long jump. Since that time the double win had not been accomplished again by an American man. The events require different skill sets, and the events were held within two hours of each other. At the Trials this year in a lifetime best, JuVaughn Harrison replicated the double win with world-class marks.
In sports such as track and field, distance swimming, and archery, results are based on actual measurements: speed, distance, time, and height. It is difficult to dispute who has won.
In other sports: diving, gymnastics, and sometimes wrestling and boxing; the winners are often chosen by a panel of judges. They rate the performers against a scale of expectation. The results therefore can be somewhat subjective. You wonder if the judges are ever influenced by politics, personalities, choice of uniforms, routines, or bad music.
Throughout life no matter how small or large our goals may be, we can fail at achieving them. We ask ourselves about each: Do we stop trying to be successful at it? How important was it in the first place? Do we really care? Do I have the desire to persist? Will one more try win? When in doubt, I remember I still like olives—especially stuffed!