Dr. William James, in his excellent essay, The Will To Believe, writes: “Often our faith in an uncertified result is the only thing that makes the results come true.”
In this sentence, Dr. James reveals to us why, in great endeavors, we never allow ourselves to become discouraged. Instead we persist, no matter how dark the storm clouds in our life appear. There is a great secret locked up in this small sentence.
Your faith, aided by a persistent effort to achieve success, may be all you have going for you, but as Dr. James says, that is enough. Faith plus persistence creates positive results.
You may be saying, “You’re asking me to take a great risk if you are asking me to step out on faith alone.” That is true. There is a risk involved. However, I can promise you this: when you act upon your faith, it will always release persistence, and persistence will lead you to the moment when positive results begin to appear.
Faith and persistence fight discouragement. Faith and persistence protect you from the negativity that would like to steal your progress. In the beginning, remember, faith and persistence may indeed be all you have going for you, but empires have been built on these two words. You can trust these two virtues.
Faith and persistence will keep you going, and eventually the success you desire will flow forth into your life.
Rick C. Ernst, Ph.D.