Success is a Function of Perseverance
One of the many signs that something you have created is successful is the extent of your creation’s ripples. I know the ripple effect is imagery that has been, figuratively, beaten to death, but the image of ripples spreading and interconnecting across a pool of motionless water is one of my favorites. A simple picture can be used for so many metaphors; for example it could be used to depict two otherwise unrelated events being connected when two different ripples collide at a point of intersection, or to talk about the growth you may have experienced.
Blue Ripples #1 by Murray Bolesta
Recently I’ve come to see the pool of water and ripple effect as a complex equation for success in life, that has no final solution. If you look at ripples one thing you’ll notice is that they never really stop. The energy dissipates over time because it’s spread out over a larger distance, but the energy doesn’t disappear. If you think of your own contributions in life like ripples, your presence on this planet can truly be mind blowingly powerful.
All of the little successes I’ve had in the process of writing Average Joe’s Story: Quest for Confidence up to this point in time are insignificant as far as society is concerned. I haven’t sold very many books, and I’m in the hole to the tune of about $50,000 as a result of having written the book. In fact most people would say that is pretty darn close to failure, unless you apply the ripple effect to what I’ve done.
I wrote a book that was picked up by a publisher, and from here until civilization comes crashing down that book has the potential of impacting countless lives. All it takes is for one other person to connect with Average Joe’s Story and I have had an enormous impact on the world.
When I set out on my book tour I was looking for connectors, people that share. Connectors are the most important people you can find if you are looking to spread an idea, a product or even a dream. Connectors will share things they have found valuable with the people they know, they’ll introduce people they’ve met to their circles of influence, and given enough time connectors will inevitably be the reason you have the opportunity to succeed.
Sadly I only met one connector on my book promo journey, but I now believe that having found him made the entire trip successful. My journey inspired my new friend Jim Langley from California. Since we met, Jim has started his own blog Fourth Quarter Strategies that is intended to inspire Christian business professionals. Jim’s blog posts also have recently been translated into 20 different languages and disseminated to Christian Business Men’s Connection International’s (CBMC) worldwide membership base.
In one of Jim’s Fourth Quarter Strategies, that was picked up and used by CBMC, he gave me a moniker, Mr Perseverance. Hearing that news was difficult for me to accept because he let me know right when I was ready to put writing on the back burner for a while. How can you walk away from something when you evoke the sensation of perseverance for someone else? So I continue to trudge along in this little adventure of writing working my way to society’s definition of success.
The funny thing is if you see yourself as the ripple instead of trying to measure up to society’s definition of success you might just persevere long enough to live up to society’s expectations.
© Christopher L. Hedges and AverageJoesStory.com, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Christopher L. Hedges and AverageJoesStory.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
