Perseverance

When I was a kid, my father talked to me a lot about perseverance.  He urged me on more than one occasion to read Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay on that subject.  My dad believed that perseverance was the most important character quality one can possess. If I were creating a 'Top Ten' list of character qualities,  number one on the list would be kindness. But perseverance is very near the top of my list of most important virtues.

Researcher Angela Lee Duckworth recently gave a TED Talk in which she reports that what she calls 'grit' maybe the most important indicator of future success in life. It's about focusing on something and sticking with it passionately to a successful outcome.

Perseverance has certainly been an important factor in my life. If has carried me past my many failures, and kept me focused on what truly matters to me. My awareness of this most valuable character trait is probably the greatest gift my father passed on to me.

Here is a link to researcher Angela Lee Duckworth's TED talk on what she calls 'Grit'...  http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit.html

Here is a wonderful little video of a little mouse providing lots of smiles and cheers as it demonstrates what perseverance is all about.

Here is a link to a 'You Tube'  mouse giving its all to take home a cracker...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM6MNw7i6Ng