Patience

How many times have you become frustrated with your computer because it was moving too slowly? When was the last time you got annoyed for having to wait in line? How often have you paid extra money just to receive faster service? In today's society, we expect to get our news, information, food, and pleasures quick and easy. We have grown accustomed to a much faster pace and are impatient when we do not receive what we want exactly when we want it.

Despite our expectations, however, there are some things in life that still require patience and persistence. When it comes to accomplishing a task or achieving a goal, there will always be success stories of those who got it right the very first time they did it. But, the majority of us will have to try more than once to reach our goal. More than likely, we will have to endure the pains of waiting and refusing to accept defeat before we experience success.

When we look at people who are successful in their field, they often make success look easy. We see the rewards and benefits of their hard work, but seldom think about the sacrifices and failures they experienced to get to that level. One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan said: "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." The question is - how many people are willing to take 9000 shots at their goal? How many will fail 300 times and continue to get back into the game?

When I first graduated from law school, I applied for a position with the Florida Department of Children and Families. At the time, they did not have any entry level attorney positions available and told me to check back with them in the future. And, that's exactly what I did! I contacted them every two weeks, just to see if there had been any changes. I wasn't trying to be a pest, but I wanted to show my interest in the position. After about six weeks, impressed by my tenacity, they found a position for me and offered me a job. It is quite possible that I would not have been offered the job if I had not shown such determination. I exercised patience and persistence and it paid off!

The next time you feel yourself trying to hurry your success along or ready to give up on your goal, remember these three points:

1 - Time is going to pass whether you achieve your goal or not. You can come out of it having accomplished something, or you can just come out of it.

2 - You may have to wait longer and try harder than you expected to experience success. But, if you give up too soon, you are guaranteed to fail.

3 - Success is a choice. The only way you will fail is if you choose not to succeed!

Asiah Wolfolk-Manning, J.D.
Youth Motivational Speaker