Why Perseverance Matters 

Yesterday, I met with Mrs. Proler’s 4th-grade class, and I had a great time talking with her students. We had a great discussion about Perseverance and Growth-Mindset.

I shared with them the many failures I had to endure when I started my writing career, and those failures were EPIC! After my hour with these enthusiastic kids, as started thinking about all of the failures I’ve had in my life; I never considered how long that list I had.

There were a couple of failures in grade school, then some in high school, and a handful in college. Of course, there were a few in my professional life, but those failures seem a little different, and I never realized it until I spoke with Mrs. Proler’s class.

You see, the failures I endured as a child never became lessons. I didn’t learn anything from those failures, each a missed opportunity. Even as an adolescent, I didn’t learn anything from my failures. I just tried to hide them because I was embarrassed. I should have stood up for my friend . . . I should have refused to do what peer pressure demanded . . . I should have said it was my fault . . .

When I look back at my life, I hope I have no regrets, but of course, I do . . . who doesn’t. But when I look at my regrets, I realize they are linked to these failures, where I didn’t learn anything from my poor choices and didn’t grow or become a better person. I just let those failures sit on me like a bad rash, never going away.

Importance of Perseverance

Perseverance matters. As an adult, my failures became opportunities, though sometimes painful opportunities. Each time I crashed and burned, I learned something, though I was a little bumped and bruised, I became a better person for them.

The failures of my first four novels were painful ones, but each time one of my first books was catastrophically rejected by hundreds of agents, I refused to give up. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I bought another how-to book on writing a novel, I started to read, trying to improve my writing skills so that hopefully the next book wouldn’t flop. I went through this experience 4 times before I saw any success as an author.

Perseverance Is Everything

I have no doubt, I wouldn’t be visiting classes of students, getting them excited about writing if I’d given up. I know my books wouldn’t be published in 31 countries if I’d given up. Today, I received a cool email from a young girl in Lithuania who loves my books; I wouldn’t have received that email if I’d given up. Perseverance matters!

Perseverance is EVERYTHING. Own your failures and learn from them. I cherish the failures that helped me grow and become a better person.

My dad once told me, “Failing doesn’t mean you’re a failure, it just means you haven’t found the right path to get to your goal.” Don’t ever stop trying to reach your goal.

“If you give up, it guarantees the outcome.” – Gameknight999

Mark