When You Lose, You Win: The Power of Perseverance and Pursuing Your Dreams

Our dreams are the life-blood of our existence. Our dreams and aspirations fuel us with purpose, focus, and a deeper meaning -- inspiring us to share our gifts to the world. What we desire to create warms our heart, fires up our resolve, and clarifies our mind through an esteemed vision we caress within.

Everything begins at first as a seed, a bud that we nurture to full blossom. Through the mosaic of our minds we are given divine flashes of insight and sparks of poetic beauty that we get to mold and shape. Our dreams are a reflection of who we are at our most brave and courageous.

The journey to our dreams and grand ambitions are often fraught with failure, hardship, and inner discord as we strive to make something real out of what begins as a lucid impression in our minds, and a yearning in our hearts. This is where the true test of our inner grit and resiliency begins to unfold -- where we can choose to go all the way, or not at all. Our dreams demand wholehearted and emphatic efforts, testing us all the way, yet whispering through the quiet recesses of our innermost being to just go the distance.

When You Lose, You Win: The Power of Perseverance and Pursuing Your Dreams

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

- Eleanor Roosevelt (more quotes)

Against all odds we can bring to fruition what only we can see and deeply feel. There are no short cuts, easy ways out, or a well-worn path to our innermost intentions. Ultimately we should expect a long and arduous route rather than a walk in the park. Perseverance reminds us of how hungry we are to reach our highest hopes; the picture of our dream promenades its glory through the windows of our mind and provokes within us a craving for its taste.

The passageway to our loving desiderata and oasis of dreams is largely inconvenient, deeply uncomfortable and painstakingly difficult. However, through it all we can find that each apparent defeat is tempered with a chance for success. When we lose, we can choose to win. We can win the lesson of the struggle and channel our frustrations into an even greater drive toward our aims.

Faith over fear

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

 - Steve Jobs (more quotes)

Dreams need action, devotion, and unwavering faith. Our fears are simply there to expose something that we have hidden within; they call to us for a reason. Instead of trying to shadow box, double-cross or bluff our fears we can choose to liberate and learn from them so we can consciously move through them. Fear blocks us from faith and keep us rooted to what keeps us afraid. As we tentatively loosen those chains we free up a space for faith to shine its light.

We can use each worry, failure, and misjudgement to move us forward valiantly instead of paralyzing us. We can implicitly trust in our vision and all we have stored in the sentiments of our soul. We will never know the full power of our natural ability until it has been worked through by adversity, loss, and difficulty. We are stronger through our fears, wiser from our mistakes, and braver after our battles. We can choose faith over fear.

The power of commitment

Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.

- Peter F. Drucker

Motivation towards our dreams and higher intentions may falter and fade; essentially worn down by the hard task of dealing with inevitable challenges and distractions. Commitment is the glue that galvanises our motivation, allowing us to press ahead with integrity and fervor. Motivation is the spark that gets us started, yet it is our commitment that builds the foundation of our goals and crystallizes our vision within a cartridge of conviction.

It is a rock solid promise, a "no matter what" way of thinking. It is what pulls us up each time we fall as we dust off the dirt from the ground. The power of commitment lies in captivation, diligence and accountability. It is the golden handshake to the manifestation of our dreams and ambitions. In conversation with your inner desires, commitment and integrity, sweetly and acquiescently say,"I believe in you, no matter what."

Persevere, and flow like water

Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.

- Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad

Too often we can lose ourselves and our higher visions as we batter with life’s trials and obstacles that appear before us. Extrinsic forces that we allow to penetrate our hopes and aspirations cause friction within us and lead us to lose control. Yet when we focus on our inner compass for wisdom, guidance, and intuition, we can form a clearer perspective outside of external constraints.

Perseverance is our non-combative propeller. She patiently pursues and cultivates through an inner strength, fluidity, and sophisticated seniority. She hugs each tight bend, flows over and through each obstacle, and shapes herself to what lies ahead. When we reach for our dreams and greater goals, we can choose where we direct our energy; we can determine the flow of our faith and enterprise as we cascade towards our victory. Patience and perseverance turn the external ticking clock into an inner pendulum of quintessential timing -- responding rather than reacting, and flowing instead of fighting.

The value of perseverance in pursuing our dreams

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.

- Henry David Thoreau

Our dreams and goals are delicately sculpted by a fierce and spirited love and determined by our passionate and faithful pursuance. Every loss along the way can fortify an admirable tenacity to keep on striving. Our dreams are our priceless pledges to ourselves for everything we deeply know that we are worth -- inspired by what we know we can give.

When we attach value, virtue and veracity to the incipient flower conceived in the beauty of our mind's eye, we powerfully charge her exaltation from conception to absolute life.