We all wish we could reach success easily, without struggle or difficulty. But life just isn’t like that, is it?
For me, one of my biggest struggles has been my acute asthma. I share the story of how I grew up with acute asthma in Puerto Rico in Today’s Inspired Latina. In my childhood I was plagued with recurring asthma attacks. My parents could not afford air conditioning and I often slept in the car because at night, it was the only place I could breathe. I would develop pneumonia and bronchitis and at times my condition was life-threatening.
When I entered school, I never used my asthma as an excuse not to do things. In fact, they told me not to exercise, and I would do the opposite. To me, it was counter-intuitive not to make my lungs stronger through exercise. Research later confirmed that I was right. And the exercise indeed made me stronger.
I still endure expensive shots once a month to keep my asthma under control, but I never let it stop me from pursuing my dreams of becoming an entrepreneur and now, a speaker and author. Yes, at the end of 2019 you will see my next book so stay tuned!
Would I be in the same place I am today if I had not had my health struggles? I don’t think so.
Struggles feed your perseverance which is what you need to realize your passion and reach success.
Let me explain to you what I mean with two fictional women, Anna and Claudia…
ANNA is extremely intelligent and loves to paint. In her youth, everyone urges her to become a doctor, even though she is interested in studying art. Finally she gives in and enters medical school. The work is easy for her and she finishes in the top of her class but she has a hard time connecting to any particular specialty. She likes medicine and is a good doctor but part of her wishes she could be pursuing a career in the art world. Sometimes she even resents the time she has to spend in the clinic because it takes her away from her artwork. Anna eventually graduates from medical school, joins a thriving practice and continues to paint on the side.
CLAUDIA gets average grades in school but also dreams of becoming a doctor. Because her little brother died of a rare brain tumor she becomes interested in neurology so she can help other children with similar cancers. She studies hard, often late into the night, and invests in a tutor for herself to pass harder classes and do well on exams. Her scores aren’t always as high as she would like them to be but she doesn’t let herself become discouraged. Instead, she looks around for inspiration and listens to interviews and reads articles from famous neurologists. One day, while listening to a famous doctor be interviewed, she is inspired to perform some valuable research into pediatric brain tumors. The results receive some attention in medical circles, and she gets a personal phone call from the famous doctor who first inspired her congratulating her on her efforts. Eventually she graduates medical school and is courted by some of the best practices in the country for her specialty in pediatric brain tumors.
Can you see the difference between the two women? They are both successful in their own right, but which woman truly accomplished her dream?
Many would say Claudia, and why? Because she has the special combination of perseverance and passion, a winning combination that I believe can help us move mountains. In school, Claudia didn’t just get grades..she had a passion for what she was studying, which propelled her to do and learn more. Even though it was harder for her to get through medical school than it was for Anna, she worked harder and smarter to do it. She invested in herself and never gave up, even when the grades weren’t the best. She did outside work and sought inspiration when her determination started to wane.
I relate to Claudia. My situation was similar in that I had a passion, but was in need of perseverance to reach success. I needed to conquer my health problems in order to reach my passion of helping others through my work as an IT project manager and a speaker. My ability to do that continues to determine whether or not I reach success in each of my endeavors.
I truly believe without passion, there is no perseverance. Without perseverance, there is no passion and it will be harder to reach success. So all those little challenges we have can actually have a good effect on us.
Yes, you can reach success without passion or even the need for perseverance. Anna shows us that this is possible. Do you think it would have been harder for her to pursue a career in art? We will never know but I would bet her passion would help her persevere through any disappointments she may have encountered.
Finally, of these two doctors, if you had to guess, which doctor do you think will be more likely to…
- Excel further in their career?
- Still be practicing medicine in 10 years?
- Make a breakthrough in the field of medicine?
- Win awards?
My money is on the professional with passion because I know they will have perseverance to reach success.
What obstacles are standing in your way of pursuing your passion? Don’t let them! Muster your perseverance and you’ll be amazed at what you can do!