This just happens to be my favorite step (#4) in a 6 part series:

This post is rated Sprinters, Olympians and Ironman.

You are focused on your POTENTIAL and are in full PURSUIT. Most likely you have experienced PAIN….You have not allowed it to paralyze you because life is far too short to settle. When you navigate your PAIN and see it through, step 4 finds its place on your path: PERSEVERANCE!

My favorite definition of PERSEVERANCE is “patient endurance.” Oftentimes, we cannot coast through PAIN. Sometimes PAIN cannot be overcome immediately. Time is NOT of upmost importance in this particular matter. A commitment to your PURSUIT in the face of PAIN will lead you to PERSEVERANCE.

What is it about a comeback story that we all love so much? I think of Rudy Ruttiger running out onto the field to dress for his first and only game as Notre Dame Fighting Irishman. Or Rocky Balboa defeating the Russian after being pummeled for the first 15 rounds of their boxing match!
Or (and perhaps more appropriate for this blog) how about Chrissie Wellington coming from nowhere to win her first Ironman Worlds Championships in 2007 with a time of 9:02?

PERSEVERANCE is my favorite step on the path to PURPOSE because it is simply a matter of focus. We can just as easily focus on our PAIN and magnify it which leads to paralysis. You see, PERSEVERANCE is a choice and it is absolutely essential for navigating the path to your PURPOSE.

Once you’ve made it to this stage, the last 2 are a cinch! Stay tuned over the weekend for the last 2 steps to come.

Are you having fun yet?!