We all struggle. Sometimes you don’t realize your struggles until you watch others through your eyes.
Lily, my 3-year-old, has been struggling to learn how to pedal her tricycle for over a year. Last year when we introduced her to it, she would put her feet on the pedals and throw a fit because she wasn’t able to push them. Eventually, we created a method to push her on the tricycle.
Soon she became content to push herself with her feet, ignoring the use of the pedals altogether. However, she quickly realized that this method was slower than her brother, Jack.
Then, as the weather broke this spring, we dug out the tricycle again. And this year, she is off!!!! Pedaling, moving fast, keeping up with Jack, laughing, smiling.
This story brings me to the point.
When we struggle, we have a choice. Perseverance or not. At the kickboxing studio, we define perseverance as reaching the point of past failure and deciding to continue. Lily failed at pedaling multiple times. She continued.
By making the decision to continue, you build your character, which helps define how you see and value yourself. Continuing also gives you hope. Hope fuels a more optimistic mood, grace, and happiness. Hope lets you believe that your dreams and desires are possible. Hope ultimately allows for the possibility to be the person you want to be, and in turn, the person you want to be to the people you love.
Therefore, next time you are trying to achieve a big goal and find yourself struggling, choose to persevere. It may take time. It may take effort. It may take asking for help. It may take patience. But making the decision to continue will make all the difference in your ultimate strength, happiness, and hope.
For those of you who are getting ready to do the 28 Day Summer Slim Down at the studio, congrats on taking the first step and signing up. Expect challenges (for it is a challenge). Expect struggle. And we will help you to persevere. Completing even a small challenge will build your character and give you more hope that you can and will achieve your goals long term. And as always, we have your back!
Go Lily Go!
