September 2023

September Thought of the Month

"The most essential factor is persistence - the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come."

~ James Whitcomb Riley

Summer is coming to an end and, if you're like me, you're realizing that the project list that you planned to complete during the warm season has way too many unchecked items. In comes frustration and that voice in your head complaining that, even though you did complete some jobs, you should have found a way to get even more finished. Don't listen to it.

Reality and best intentions rarely walk hand in hand. Stuff happens. Other obligations become more urgent. The weather doesn't cooperate. It's easy to think something like, "I'll never get X done, it's just not in the cards," and give up. But that is not inevitable. We must not let the fact that we had to adjust to changing circumstances derail us.

One of our rarely-sung skills is our ability to be persistent when it comes to achieving our goals. Watch babies learning to walk. If the first few times they fell made them give up, we'd be a world of crawlers. Remember the absolute joy on their faces when they succeed. In this one aspect we must all be babies in the way we target our goals, with focused determination, unfailing persistence no matter how long it takes, and unrestrained joy upon success.

So celebrate the successes you did have this summer and keep your focus. Put aside the negative thoughts and any discouragement you may feel that dampen your enthusiasm. Adjust your goals, don't abandon them, and keep moving forward. Remember, late is better than never.

[Thought and image design by Elaine C. Oldham]