Perseverance Is The Only Way To Finish Strong

I have to begin this long over-due post with a shocking observation. Gee we are all connected to each other in this universe. Is this a novel concept or is it a law? If we are truly connected I find it troubling that we, as inter-connected beings, have so much trouble communicating with each other.

Just the other day I was having a conversation with my lovely wife, Gina and 14 year old son Joshua. It became clear to me that perception of ones personal experience has a lot to do with their ability to understand others they may be communicating with.

Perseverance Is The Only Way

It was fascinating to me, I could vividly see what I was saying and understood it completely, but my son and wife were totally oblivious to what I was saying and where I was coming from…… Ok enough of that rant. I will just say that it may very well behoove you to listen and ask questions more in a conversation than to just assume you or they are following your line of conversation. That brings me to an amazing topic on perseverance.

The Only Way

Wow, I just read an inspiring article by Dr. John C. Maxwell on perseverance. Just ask yourself this very simple question. When you look back at your life, or an accomplishment you set out to attain, or a goal that you have worked so hard to accomplish, does it look like the initial vision you had? When I read John’s article in Leadership Wired, December 2008 Issue 2, I realized communication is a lot like accomplishments and those visions we have about where we want to go, what we want to accomplish, and the goals we set for our lives.

WOW, I really don’t believe Vonetta (Jeffrey) Flowers would have imagined that her Olympic triumph would have ended as it did. Just imagine for a moment that you have worked your whole life for one single moment or event, and all of a sudden that moment or event IS the same place, in principle, but is so very different that you imagined.

That would be enough to play havoc with even the most stable of human psyches’. I am in awe of what Vonetta endured to get to where she wanted. I am amazed when I think about what it took for her to even consider an alternate path, when the path she was on was the only path she knew.

Finishing Strong

This is what is so amazing and powerful about the human potential. I am reminded of a quote from my friend Andy Andrews “when you persist without exception, miracles occur and you are allowed to (find a way) where there is no way.” I am constantly amazed at the true potential we hold inside us, without which none of the true wonders of the world would be possible.

This is why human communication and interaction are so critical to our continued survival. It is one thing to persevere without exception, but if you are unable to communicate that path, that walk, that vision to others, then it falls on deaf ears. One of the common errors of our time is that we have let technology do our talking for us.

I challenge each and every one of you to evaluate how modern technology is being used in your business, in your workplace, or in you own home. If it is not truly improving your ability to share thoughts, ideas and concepts, then what value does it hold for us? Are we placing to much value on mechanical forms of communication?

What happened to the good old days of picking up the phone and letting someone know that you were thinking of them. What happened to the days when you received a personalized card in the mail letting you know that you are important? Please don’t let the days of text messaging be the way we tell someone we care.

It is high time we stop and re-evaluate where that path is taking us. I will continue to persist on this path. I may not know that the end result really looks like (like Vonetta), but I do believe with all my heart and soul that the closer we get to one another and use the God given ability to smile, wink, touch, speak, and LISTEN to each other the better off we will be.

To your success and happiness!

Jed A. Reay

Jed The Communicator

“If you can Believe the Invisible and do the Uncomfortable you can Achieve the Impossible” Andy Andrews