Perseverance
- Steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.
A cousin to Endurance, perseverance requires the capacity to pull from deep inside a resolve to stay present and adaptable over the long (sometimes very long) haul. Endurance says, “Keep at it” ~ perseverance says, “Try again.” A mentor of mine says that the Yes comes after the third No ~ the third! Repeated attempts therefore often require a change of approach, which is where the adaptability comes in (otherwise it’s the proverbial beating of one’s head against a brick wall ~ or Einstein’s definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result). Following are excellent illustrations of perseverant people ~ and the spectacular outcomes they enjoy as a result.
Examples of Perseverance in Film
- 12 Angry Men (1957)
- A Better Life
- Adam
- All the President’s Men
- An Education
- An Officer and a Gentleman
- Awakenings
- Big Night
- Bowfinger
- Bridget Jones’ Diary
- Cadence
- Canvas
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Cast Away
- Citizen X
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Contact
- Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
- Erin Brockovich
- Extraordinary Measures
- Facing the Giants
- Far and Away
- G.I. Jane
- Gandhi
- Gladiator
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Heart Like a Wheel
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Jack Goes Boating
- Kung Fu Panda
- Larger Than Life
- Little Miss Sunshine
- Mask
- Murphy’s Romance
- Papillon
- Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
- Places in the Heart
- Rocky
- Rudy
- Stanley & Iris
- Submarine
- Sunshine Cleaning
- The Art of Getting By
- The Big Year
- The Day After Tomorrow
- The Edge
- The Hurricane
- The Lord of the Rings
- The Pursuit of Happyness
- Waiting for Guffman
- Warrior
“perseverance.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. 18 Dec. 2011. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perseverance>.
Libra, INTP, English Major, 
Back from a seriously scary health relapse in mid-October and returning to action. Kudos to my patient friends and colleagues, you're the best. New programs and more unrolling this year, here's to 2012!
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