Press On to Victory

By Kathryn Lang

“Press on: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge

Press on because the only thing standing in the path of your success is your own mind.
Press on because there is nothing that is as bad as you make it out to be in your mind.
Press on because the mind can barely comprehend the amazing blessings that the Father bestows.
Press on because you may not know in your mind the what, but you know in your heart and spirit the Who and that makes all the difference.

I dove competitively when I was in high school. Every year I went up against the same girl. Every year she beat me. The last year I competed, I spent the night before terrified about getting beat again. I HATE to lose. I called up a friend and he told me if it was stressing me out that bad then I should just go home. My coach pushed me to dive despite my fears. She beat me again. But my fears did not. That was my first lesson in pressing on.

A college professor told me that my writing would never be worth pursuing. My grandmother told me that writing was not something you did for a living because they called them starving artists for a reason. I still wrote. And eventually the internet began to open up avenues for me to pursue my writing with boldness. I am still in this lesson of pressing on and discovering more and more that it is not the talent, but the pursuit that will get me there.

My son started gymnastics last year. He struggled for a while to master the balance beam. He worried about falling off. He worried about messing up. “Keep trying” was the encouragement I offered, until I saw him one day on a log out in the back yard. “Pretend the balance beam is a log.” It made a difference. Sometimes pressing on means seeing things differently (and with a little imagination). I hope that this is the beginning of teaching my own children the value of pressing on.

Press on. Never let the world tell you what you can do. Never let circumstances define you. Never let problems dictate the path. Press on.

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Kathryn C. Lang shares words that she hopes will encourage and inspire others. She desires to see others discover their unique purpose and to pursue that purpose with boldness. You can learn more about Kathryn at her website www.kathrynlang.com. Her books are available through her website and also most online bookstores.

Persistence Rules

By Kathryn Lang

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence." I grew up with this saying on my wall. The only way I would ever reach the goals I set for my life would be if I continued to do what needed to be done until I got there.

Building a Foundation of Persistence

- Believe it. "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are right." Henry Ford. I have to get to the point where the goal that I have for my life is settled deep in my knower.

- Support it. Find people that will believe with you, push you to continue when you want to stop and will carry you when all else fails. The right support can be all the difference.

- Say it. The things you say will be the things you believe. Create "I am" and "I will" statements that will drive you in the direction that you desire.

I set a goal of 6,000 words a few months back and made it - one day. The next day, tornadoes tore through my community and flipped my world upside down. That chaos has been a great excuse for not even attempting my goals, much less reaching them.

The other morning I woke up and realized that I was supposed to be writing. Excuses would always be available, but unless I take the action to make my dreams a reality they will continue to only be dreams.

November is National Novel Writing Month. The challenge to write 1667 words each day provided the motivation to take on my goals once again. Meeting with other writers and writing groups, in person and online, has provided the inspiration to let the words flow.  And making that one statement to my husband, "I am supposed to be writing," reminded me again that the gift and passion I have for words will only get me to my goals if I make the effort to write.

Believe that you are going to reach your goal. Find people that will support and encourage you on your journey. And say the words over and over until you are unable to say anything else.

Breaking Through the Fog

Are you THE Kathryn Lang - the one that writes for that paper?” My husband’s groan could not be heard, but I could see it written all over his face. He sat helplessly as my head began to swell.        

                                                                  

 “Yes, that’s me.”

 “I love what you write.”

The one compliment would have made my day. The fuss the ladies began to make over me made my year! It seemed like the perfect time to pitch my book.

 “I’m editing my book right now.”

 “I know it will be great. Never stop writing.”

That has been my problem in the past. I have stopped doing the things that I found a passion to do. I stopped writing when I was a teenager because I got a rejection (just one did me in). I stopped dancing in college because one coach told me I did not have the body to dance.

The praises that I received were an amazing boost to my ego. It was definitely something that I could get accustomed to hearing. But it was the reminder to stay true to my passion that meant the most.

Over the last few weeks I have struggled to stay on task. The dollar signs have clouded the passion and made it difficult for me to find my way. The fog began to lift yesterday. The encouragement from these women made everything crystal clear.

Never stop. Once you grasp your passion and your dream then pursue it to the end.