Fighting against all odds only works when you have these 2 things... (My thoughts on Think and Grow Rich Chapter 9 - Persistence)

If you haven’t yet, check out my review of “Think and Grow Rich” Chapter 9 (link here). Napoleon Hill talks about the importance of Persistence and goes through many lists on how to develop Persistence. In my Paid program, I talk about the relationship of Persistence to Clarity. Today, I want to talk about the relationship between Persistence, Clarity and Love.

When we think about the concept of Persistence, we think about an individual who had to fight against all odds. We have a protagonist who fights against an antagonist. This protagonist had many opportunities to give up and fail but they chose not to. They chose to continue to strive, and in the end, they won.

Woo…hoo…

That’s the classic story from superheroes to romantic comedies to horror movies. There’s a reason why this story resonates with us. We see ourselves as the protagonist, we identify with them, we feel their stress and pain, and we want to overcome our adversities through persistence.

However…

If someone is in an abusive marriage, should they persist in the marriage? I don’t know. That’s a personal question. If someone is in a dead-end job, should they persist and hope for a raise next year? I don’t know. That’s also a personal question. If someone has an unruly teenager who is failing school, should they persist on nagging that teenager to do better in school? I don’t know. Does that even work? If it does, nag away!!

Persistence is not the core and necessary ingredient for success. That’s where people have it all backwards and wrong. Persistence is a symbol of love. And what you love determines the outcome for yourself and the loved one.

If you are in an abusive marriage and you stay, you love that person at the expense of your own health. That’s going to have specific consequences. If you stay in a dead-end job, perhaps you love the co-workers at the expense of your own career growth. That’s also going to have specific consequences. And if you nag your teenager about their grades incessantly, that tells us about the character and nature of your love for them.

Persistence is a symbol of love and has a consequence. Sometimes, one of the consequences of persistence is success. However, to gain the intended consequences of your persistence, you need clarity. Clarity on who you are, what you love, how it all fits in the world, and what you want. If you have all three, it will be very hard not to succeed.

To gain clarity, sometimes you need criticism from people who love you and have achieved what you aspire. If you want to make sure you're persisting properly on a worthy goal, check out my Think and Grow Rich (Chapter 9) deep dive here.