Endurance

vs. discouragement

The inner strength to withstand stress and do my best

To practice Endurance I will:

• put my whole heart into everything I do
• accept both instruction and feedback
• not let small obstacles deter me from my bigger goal
• recognize progress in all its forms
• not be a “quitter”

“Just Keep Swimming”
by Mary Andres Russell

There is a scene in the movie, “Finding Nemo,” in which Dory and her search party get into troubled waters. They have mistakenly entered the ocean depths where many dangers abound. Dory coaches her counterpart to safety through her encouraging mantra, “Just keep swimming… just keep swimming…” Sure enough, after dodging near calamities, they are able to swim out of the depths to reach their goal.

Just keep swimming. In my experience, enduring – continuing to be encouraged and moving forward – eventually, against all odds, pays off.

It has happened in my family life when relationships were broken and I feared our family would never reunite. Through endurance, prayer, and staying open to opportunities to reconnect, we recently all came together.

I have also experienced the value of endurance in my professional life when things looked bleak and naysayers were dominating the day. Through steady focus on the vision and continually walking through open doors, the situation eventually turned itself around. We just kept swimming.

Dreams seldom come easily. There are life lessons to learn and obstacles to overcome. This month, be encouraged from within. When others discourage or criticize you, tap into your own strength and endurance to unlock encouragement. If we just keep swimming, solutions are surely found.