Hanging in there. You can read a great deal about personal habits that help you succeed, but it all starts with just hanging in there.
Rock
I was in my first few years at The King’s Academy (TKA). Things weren’t going as well as I had hoped. The stress was high and it was getting to me at times.
A band parent walked into my office one afternoon. She was the mother of two of our percussionists and I immediately wondered what might be wrong.
She sheepishly approached my desk and handed me the rock in the photo.
I tried to hide my emotions. “What the heck is she giving me a rock for?” What’s special about this rock?”
Lichen
I could tell that she was uncomfortable handing me this rock. She must have had to work up the courage to present me with this symbolic stone. The least I could do was hear her out.
She explained that the rock was covered in lichen. That was the green stuff on the rock. I thought, “Ok……..? And?….”
She continued with her obviously rehearsed presentation.
“Lichen is found in almost every climate on earth. They live in ‘thin air’, rainforests, the Arctic and deserts.”
The lichen on the stone symbolized resilience and she wanted me to keep it as a reminder to hang in there. Persevere.
Perseverance
Perseverance is a central quality on the road to success. I’ve seen highly educated and talented people who should have succeeded, but they just didn’t hang in there.
And, I’ve seen others with average skills who have hung in there and done very well.
The hardest part of success is hanging in there.
Take a lesson from lichen. No matter what conditions you have in life, don’t quit. You can succeed if you stick with it!
That rock has remained on every work desk that I’ve had.