Perseverance

Perseverance
"An eident drap will pierce a stane."
[A steady drop will pierce a stone.]
    ___ Scottish proverb

 One of the prime figures of p0erseverance within the Scottish tradition is King Robert the Bruce. The apoocryphal story of his hiding in a cave and watching a spider attempt to make its web again and again tells us that was how the Scottish hero mustered his own perseverance to struggle on. When life seems stacked against us, whence do we find the perseverance to continue?

  When is perseverance not enought? When we have tried to the limits of our ability, when we have tried all avenues of pursuit, when there is no more help to be sought, it is reasonable to consider whether this project is the right one or if it is being approached in the right way. Sometimes a reappraisal of method can bring about a fresh change. If you are still pushing a rock up the mountain after a reasonable period of perseverance, it might be time to stop and reassess.

  Perseverance is not a common virture these days, especially among those who expect quick or instant results. The ability to carry on with a project and see it through is often a painful, painstaking, incremental task that does not yield results in an obviously satisfactory way. It is a task scorned by many a waste of time and effort. Yet many wonderfulachievements have come to birth as a result of daily, incremental, crablike progress.

  We must the patience of water itself, which cleaves the stone over many centuries.

"Are your plans on target; are they realistic and achievable? What changes would their manifestation bring to your life? Are you approaching your goals by the best possible route? Is other help available? What factors are still lacking?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]