Perseverance
I've long believed that the lessons of golf are lessons for life and vice versa. Mercer Baggs, in a recent column for the Golf Channel, noted that we can always learn or be reminded of something in every situation. He argues that the 2005 United States Open Golf Championship teaches an important lesson: Never Quit. I completely agree.
Baggs cites several examples of players whose perseverance has lead to success, such as Michael Campbell, the winner. Campbell survived mistakes, injury and winless seasons to forge a successful career, culminating in this important victory in a major championship. I'm informed that this victory has made him a national hero in New Zealand and has certainly made him one of the greatest golfers of his time. But we don't need to be a great athlete or national hero to benefit from the lesson. Never quit is a motto we can all adopt.
Perseverance, the steadfast effort to achieve a goal in the face of difficulties, is a trait that benefits all of us who have a goal. It avoids the impatience that so often prevents us from reaching our goals. It recognizes that if a goal is important we must never give up in our efforts to achieve it. (It should be noted that perseverance is not a beneficial trait if related to an unworthy or impossible goal or if it becomes an annoyance to others; I'm defining perseverance as the resolution to achieve without the hectoring that can become annoying, such as the persistent talking of a child when others around him or her need quiet.)
Perseverance makes our lives more pleasant by focusing on process rather than result. Impatience, the desire for a quick result, removes our appreciation of effort and assumes that quick is more important than achievement. If we can accept that perseverance is a virtue we will be more comfortable in our pursuits and, usually, we will eventually achieve our goals. But even if we don't, perseverance (and doing our best) will enable us to take pride in our effort and serve as an example to others.
8-1-05
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