NO PAIN, NO GAIN!

I have a confession to make: I’ve been flirting with the idea of giving up my blog. It’s been a long while since my last proper post and I seem to have struggled massively with consistency this year. I couldn’t help but wonder; if I completely disappeared from the blogosphere, would anyone even notice that I was gone? I enjoy blogging but posting regularly is hard work, particularly when my things-to-do list is as long as the river Thames! “Never make a major decision when you are HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired),” a preacher once told me. I remembered this quote and realised that I was entertaining giving up my blog because I was incredibly tired. With this in mind, I decided to carry on because in life it’s good to persevere through personal challenges ESPECIALLY when we feel like giving up.

As I observe society, I see people who struggle to stay committed to jobs,
education, marriages, businesses, relationships, friendships and churches.
We seem to be a people who are good starters but not so good finishers. There is certainly a time to “give up” but there is also a time to persevere.
It’s usually when the initial flurry of excitement fades that thoughts of giving up begin to rear their ugly head.

How many married couples would still be together if they had just persevered through that tricky rough patch? How many students don't persevere long enough to graduate. And how many people would still be Christians if they had resisted the temptation to quit when their faith was tested? None of us are immune from discouragement!

Left to my own devices I tend to gravitate towards the path of least pain. 
But as the saying goes: "No pain, no gain." I’m learning that when I’m disheartened I can choose the pain of perseverance or the pain of regret.
Is it just me or do you feel like life is war? There are battles everywhere; both internal and external ones. To persevere means to try hard and continuously in spite of obstacles and difficulties which we all face. Perseverance is hard work which is why we are quick to give up on our goals.

Queen of Perseverance

One lady who inspires me is Arianna Huffington (right), she oozes perseverance from every pore. 

Arianna is one of the co-founders of internet newspaper The Huffington Post. At 23 her first book, The Female Woman, was published and she went on to write a second book which was rejected by 36 publishers. I repeat, 36 publishers, but she refused to believe that she wasn’t a writer, a determination reflected in her brilliant career. 

Today, there are people all over the world fighting for justice against human trafficking, pushing for change within the pornography industry, campaigning for better services for abused children and pestering MP’s over laws that are unjust. I’m sure there are times they feel like giving up the fight. I thank God for each one them and their perseverance. I don’t think I was ever really serious about giving up my blog; I enjoy it far too much. I will continue to fight the battle of inconsistency because I WILL win! Perseverance is not just for Olympic athletes that's for sure.