Persistence, stubbornness and flow

October 9, 2017 

I wonder at the difference between persistence and stubbornness. 

Are they just two shades of the same colour? 

Does persistence imply a desire or a need? 

Is desire a wish or a want to be achieved or acquired; and need a must have, to be accomplished. 

When one thinks of persistence are the images or feelings positive? 

Digging in, pushing through, keeping at it, not giving up… 

When does persistence cross the line and become a waste of time and energy? When does it become just stubbornness, and if it does, is it wrong to be stubborn? 

When do we look at our attempts and say to ourselves, ok, I’m done, I need to move on, I’ve learned all I can here. 

Could it be never, would that be ok? 

Could we walk away when we must, not feeling the guilt of giving up? Instead choosing to let go? 

When does swimming upstream make sense or does it ever? 

Certainly, going with the flow may seem easier. 

I guess that depends on whose flow you are going with. 

I have been guilty of going with someone’s else’s flow. 

Does flow imply ease? Or does it imply presence and acute awareness, suddenly it becomes less easy when I attach those descriptions. 

Everywhere there are conflicting messages: 

Rest is for the weak 

Grind it out 

Find your bliss 

Just be 

Yikes. 

When do I push through and when do I accept ease? 

The same message delivered to me and to you might result in entirely different responses and generate different actions. 

My idea of persistence, and grinding it out may not even be recognized by someone else. 

How do I even measure it, what’s my register? 

Am I getting the results I am looking for? 

That may depend on whether I started the project, the mission, the attempt with an idea in mind about what results I was seeking. 

How will I quantify my success? 

Is my success a state of mind? For me, maybe. If I allow my self to be judged by outside influencers, are the results I seek different?

Is it a state of mind? 

Is it checking in, re-aligning, self-correcting? 

Being aware? 

Is it asking the questions and asking them again and listening-for the answer. 

Not sure. 

Be stubborn when it serves you. 

Be persistent. 

Get to the point of mastery. 

Find that eddy in the stream and pause for a while. 

Turn the boat downstream and cruise; then swim upstream when you must. 

Every moment 

And every moment 

And every moment 

Love, 

M

Leave a comment