Constancy

Constancy.

"Steadfastness; a state of being constant."

This is a tough one, especially today. It is so easy to waver. 

I can't help, but be reminded of the Greatest Generation who lived through the Depression and World War II. This was a time of great sacrifice and required quite a bit of steadfastness. The other day Chuck came across an old ration book in some of his mother's things. It's hard to imagine a time when things were not available at the snap of our fingers. 

I've always felt quite blessed to have been raised by parents of this generation. I attribute much of my own success to the example taught by my parents. Things like punctuality, politeness, a job well done, and delayed gratification are all lessons learned from my youth. 

Being consistent in your words and actions is not always easy, but I have found my ability to stick with a task to be a strength. Giving up too soon might just be a matter of the next attempt. One of my biggest regrets in life was doing so. I always wished I had seen my endeavor through to the end even though it was unpleasant.

I can say my giving up did teach me a lesson, though, for the future. I remember one particularly challenging school year where walking away would have been the easier thing, but not the smartest thing. Each morning I approached my day with a smile, even though, it may have only lasted a few minutes. Somehow I made my way through the year, and it was behind me. 

My constancy has also been a guiding force in writing this blog. As I look back over at my body of work over the last three and a half years I'm quite proud that I did not give up too soon. 

Teach children to keep on trying. The other day my oldest grandson was trying to pedal his tricycle when he told me it was hard. I assured him that when something was hard you just had to try harder. It wasn't long before he had it down with a little help from me. 

Constancy might seem a little boring at times, as variety does seem to call it's siren song, but don't discount it as having value in your life. 

"The secret of success is constancy to purpose."

Benjamin Disraeli