loving art, science and creative kids

 Sanna

She’s resilient and shows true grit by persevering to make dreams become reality.

Perseverance

Perseverance is the ability to keep doing something despite obstacles. It's easy to say but hard to do. When asked why I was successful in starting a museum, my answer is always because I persevered. Many studies have shown that perseverance and resilience are essential qualities for success in life. They are stronger predictors of achievement than aptitude and talent.

Sticking to tasks and remaining focused on a goal takes effort and helps maintain passion. But success requires more. You have to be willing to learn from failure and to try again. As my mother said, "When the horse throws you, you get back in the saddle until you're no longer thrown."

It was months before finding a way to fund my fledgling museum in Michigan. Direct asks weren't doing it. It wasn't until I read that the Playboy Bunnies raised money for charity through sporting events with community leaders that I had my start. I admit it was a sexist solution, but fifty-some years ago it wasn't an outlandish idea. The event never took place due to a devastating flood covering Michigan State's Jenison Field House in three feet of water. But the publicity, both good and bad, got the museum off the ground. The city knew about the museum and wanted it to succeed.

That event and subsequent advice from a businessman saying not to wait for the stars to align to push ahead got me going. When put on a back burner by the city, he told me not to wait but to create my own opportunity and then grab on by acting decisively.

Scientist and author Angela Duckworth argues that "perseverance plus passion equals true grit." She quotes Thomas Edison, who said while still experimenting, "I have not failed: I've just found 10,000 ways to make a lightbulb that won't work." Being resilient and learning from his failures helped him persevere in his quest.

Duckworth describes how J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series got started. As a single mother living in poverty and dependent on welfare, Rowling wrote whenever she had a spare moment. After completing the manuscript, she was repeatedly rejected by agents but continued submitting until someone took her on. Her books and movies became best sellers making her one of the wealthiest women in the world.

As I complete my latest manuscript, I take her example to heart. Rightfully Mine: The Water Factor is waiting for an eager agent to propel it to success. Following is Kirkus review to whet your appetite.

"Eichinger's near-future dystopian eco-thriller explores a world with little water.

"The novel opens dramatically in the year 2039 with James Hokama Byrne leading a team to steal water trucks and take them to the Chekesuwand reservation where his grandparents live. James lives in Portland with his mother, an Indigenous doctor, and his father, an Irish American lawyer. The novel then turns to his high school graduation in 2028 and traces the events leading up to the opening scene and its aftermath. James begins work as a truck driver for Glacier Oceanide, a private, for-profit company that purifies and sells water (bottled and as a commodity), believing he will be helping people made destitute by severe drought brought on by global climate change. When his employer transfers him to Ethiopia, he learns that, far from helping the poor, the company reaps windfall profits by exploiting a limited resource and corrupting the would-be regulators. On his return to Oregon, he quits his job but is horrified to learn that Chekesuwand and other reservations have contracted with Glacier Oceanide to manage their aquifers and water supplies. James enrolls in college, and the story shifts to the perspectives of others, including Aaron Gooding, Glacier Oceanide's second-in-command. The company's founder dies and is succeeded by his unscrupulous nephew, Matt Dunlap, who bullies Aaron into complying with illegal activities and underhanded business practices. The underdog fighting to regain what is rightfully theirs and wreak revenge on wrongdoers is a time-honored thriller plot, and the novel gamely attempts to animate this storyline with the timely theme of water scarcity. Eichinger addresses a critical topic within the frame of an attention-grabbing plot."

Look forward to seeing Rightfully MIne on the shelves of your local bookstore one day. I believe it would make a great TV mini-series. Until then, join me on your quest to grow grit and persevere. Follow your passion to make the world a better place and to help others. Practice deliberately by honing weaknesses and incorporating feedback into your goals. Never give up hope. Remember that your efforts matter. Parents and grandparents can support children by encouraging them to stick with their activities and instilling the belief that it is possible to live up to expectations.

Reference:

Schaffner, K. PhD. (2020) Perseverance in Psychology: Meaning, Importance, and Books. Positive Psychology. retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/perseverance/

I look forward to your comments below.

Lives of Museum Junkies (a behind the scens look at museums) and Over the Peanut Fence (about  homeless and runaway youth) are available in bookstores and online in paperback and ebook formats.