Word of the Week: Sticktoitiveness

Word of the Week: Sticktoitiveness

noun
Definition: dogged perseverance; resolute tenacity
Synonyms: backbone, balls, brass balls, chutzpah, courage, endurance, energy, fitness, fortitude, gutsiness, heart, moxie, spunk, stamina, staying power, strength, toughness, vigor, wind

“The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.”   ~Vince Lombardi

It’s not always easy to endure – to pick ourselves up when we’ve fallen – to keep at something which is difficult.  The good thing is, is that we all have something deep down inside ourselves that gives us the will to move forward and succeed!  Yep, it’s in there… and we all come equipped with it — it’s a standard feature, direct from the factory!  It’s called “sticktoitiveness!  Sometimes it’s hard to reach and it’s scary, but it’s in there!

This week, go back to something you have put off and just do it!  Stick it out, put some effort into accomplishing it, and mark that off your list of things to complete!  Here’s a little parable you might enjoy:

Donkey in the well

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, that the well needed to be covered anyway and that it just wasn’t worth retrieving the donkey. So he invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quietened down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.