The power of persistence

The Power Of Persistence

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." --Dale Carnegie

When there's no hope at all, most people think 'this is the end. . . after all, no hope means theres no possible way to win. For me, and my fellow persuaders, this signals a challenge, an opportunity, a call to action. I believe there is always hope.

Many years ago I had a cat who was the very embodiment of persis...

Persuasion, sales training, persuading the affluent, self improvement, communication

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." --Dale Carnegie

When there's no hope at all, most people think 'this is the end. . . after all, no hope means theres no possible way to win. For me, and my fellow persuaders, this signals a challenge, an opportunity, a call to action. I believe there is always hope.

Many years ago I had a cat who was the very embodiment of persistence. I had a giant antique armoire in my living room. This piece of furniture was too low for him to crawl under and too large for him to swipe his paw under but it was the perfect height for a mouse to find shelter.

I couldn't understand why the cat sat in the corner staring all day and night for several days. He was standing a guard and waiting for a little mouse who had taken shelter there.

My cat had a goal that he was going to attain no matter how long he had to wait. And he waited and waited and I began to worry about him because he seldom left his post. Eventually the little guy caught the mouse and he played with it for hours while strutting around proudly show his prize to us.

The mouse sadly died, (with a burial following in the back yard) but the cat remained vigilant in that corner trying to create victory. He was hoping for another opportunity, but I like to think he was reliving his triumphant moment.

Persistence is key in persuasion. Your success rate is increased incredibly with persuasion. Follow up, follow through. Place that second or third or even fourth call, don't accept no for an answer.

Excelling in persistence requires intention, objective and desire. Get these ingredients percolating within you for when you need the energy of an extra push to accomplish all of your objectives and goals.

A clear mindset is important. Self doubt and negativity have NEVER served you well. Sometimes we play these old tapes in our heads. This outdated conditioning needs to be banished from our lives.

Seek the encouragement of friends, coworkers, allies, family in overcoming this negativity. If you have been relying on these old tapes playing in a loop in your head for many years, or your whole life, this can be a hard habit to break. Break it, you must.

With all that said, there's a point of diminishing return and if you've spent a sufficient time being persistent and it has proved futile then by all means, give up. There is no point at all in beating the proverbial dead horse. Your time is worth money and when you come to an impasse, it's time to cut your losses.

I'll leave you with a W.C. Fields quote: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it."

 

Find Your Focus - End Procrastination Without Willpower

Recommended For You

The power of meditation

The Power Of Meditation

Purpose for meditation:

What is the goal of meditation? The goal of meditation is not to end or remove the stimulation. It is more a training of the mind to direct focus and concentration to one element. This single element may be a single sound, a single word or thought, a single image or even the person's own breathing. Calmness and peace are brought into the mind's focus, and thereby replace feelings of worry, stress and depression. Negative thoughts can be replaced wit...

meditation, health

Purpose for meditation:

What is the goal of meditation? The goal of meditation is not to end or remove the stimulation. It is more a training of the mind to direct focus and concentration to one element. This single element may be a single sound, a single word or thought, a single image or even the person's own breathing. Calmness and peace are brought into the mind's focus, and thereby replace feelings of worry, stress and depression. Negative thoughts can be replaced with positive ones in this manner.

Benefits of Meditation:

There are numerous physical and psychological benefits to meditation. As the body rests, the heart rate lowers, as does the metabolic rate and stress is dramatically decreased. Many negative physical and physiological reactions related to stress are decreased or eradicated altogether. Concentration is increased and memory is improved. Additionally, anxiety, depression, moodiness and irritability are decreased while feelings of vitality, happiness, rejuvenation and emotional stability are improved.

There are many forms of meditation and, although it has its origins in the Eastern cultures, the West is quickly learning the benefits of this relaxing practice. Most people think of meditation as some guy sitting on a pillow, legs crossed, eyes closed, humming. However, meditation can be done while sitting on a chair, lying down, sitting at your desk, or just about anywhere.

While the many different forms of meditation are as diverse as their styles, there is one thing that they have in common: they focus on calming and quietening a chaotic, busy mind.

What is the goal of meditation? The goal of meditation is not to end or remove the stimulation. It is more a training of the mind to direct focus and concentration to one element. This single element may be a single sound, a single word or thought, a single image or even the person's own breathing. This is designed to bring calm and peace to the mind by making it focus so that worry, stress and depression are pushed aside. Negative thoughts can be replaced with positive ones in this manner.

All of the meditation methods can be grouped into one of two different categories, or styles. The first of these styles of meditation is concentrative. This means that the attention is focused on the breath, an image or a sound such as a mantra to still the mind and heighten awareness and clarity. Certain types of music can do this.

Concentrative meditation is the most popular style of meditation. The person sits quietly and focuses their attention on the breath, known as "conscious breathing." This type of meditation is very good for relieving anxiety, stress and distraction because it causes the person to focus and relax.

To perform conscious breathing, sit in a chair or on a pillow on the floor. Close your eyes and breath in deeply through your mouth while saying to yourself, "I am breathing in." When you exhale through your nose (or mouth), say to yourself, "I am breathing out." Picture positivity being breathed in with each breath you take and negativity being expelled each time you exhale. Absorb yourself in the act of breathing in and out, think of nothing else.

The other type of meditation is mindfulness meditation. This type of meditation involves raising your awareness of all the sensations, feelings, images, thoughts, sounds and smells that you encounter each day. However, you do not dwell on them or become involved in thinking about them. The person simply sits quietly and observes the activity of the mind without being drawn into reacting to it or becoming involved in negative reactions to it such as depression or worry. Through this exploration, the person gains a clearer, calmer state of mind that is non-reactive as opposed to bogged down in worry and depression.

 

Recommended For You