Perseverance
Perseverance may seem heroic from the outside, but living it often feels like going through life with little to no energy. For me, perseverance is not about some huge achievement I have accomplished in life, but it’s about showing up for myself, even when I’m tired of making excuses. It’s about finishing the tasks I promised myself I would complete. It’s about pushing through moments when fear is louder than motivation. And sometimes, perseverance means choosing not to give up on myself emotionally.
I’ve also learned that perseverance shouldn’t destroy you. There were times I fought for things out of stubbornness, even when they drained me. I held on to people who weren’t good for me, and expectations that weren’t mine to carry. All of that was just fear disguised as persistence.
Perseverance isn’t just about holding on, but it’s knowing when to hold on and when to let go. It’s about trusting that letting go doesn’t mean failure and that it means that we have more room to grow and do something better.
Reflective questions:
What’s something you kept pushing for that you later realized you needed to walk away from?
@Ilovewatermenlonsomuch
I kept pushing for certain friendships to be maintained by with time, I realised they weren't giving me the same energy, I was giving them, and let them go and now I'm much happier 💖💜
@Ilovewatermenlonsomuch
Yes, I also believe it is an accomplishment doing this.
@Ilovewatermenlonsomuch Loved how you took such a deep dive at Perseverance. Indeed we all need to understand sometimes when to hold unto things and when to let go. For me, I held unto certain friendships and relations in my life that were draining me, but I was just afraid to let go. But this year I let go of certain things that I should have, a long time ago. 🌟
Reading other people's posts about perseverance has really made me realise I've just been plenty stubborn sometimes 😄
I went through a situation with a relationship where I had deeply hurt the other person. Because of the guilt, I spent months completely draining myself trying to fix it, constantly pushing for their forgiveness and trying to force things back to how they used to be. It took me a really long time to finally wake up and realize that what's done is done.
Constantly pushing wasn't helping either of us heal, it was just keeping us stuck in the past. Walking away and letting go didn't mean I didn't care anymore. It actually meant accepting the mistake, learning from the growth, and finally giving both of us the space to breathe and move forward. Sometimes, letting go is the ultimate form of love.
@Ilovewatermenlonsomuch
I really resonate with what you said about perseverance not always looking heroic from the inside. Sometimes it simply looks like quietly continuing, trying again, or choosing not to abandon yourself during difficult moments. I also appreciate your point that perseverance without self-awareness can become self-destruction. There is a big difference between healthy persistence and holding on out of fear, guilt, or attachment to something that is no longer helping us grow.
One thing I’ve had to learn to walk away from is the pressure to constantly prove myself or meet impossible expectations. For a long time, I thought pushing myself endlessly was a sign of discipline or strength, but eventually I realized it was leaving me emotionally exhausted and disconnected from myself. Letting go of that mindset did not mean giving up on growth, it meant learning that growth can also come from balance, rest, and self-respect.
I think one of the hardest lessons is realizing that letting go is not always weakness. Sometimes it takes more courage to release something that no longer aligns with who we are becoming than it does to continue forcing ourselves to hold on. Perseverance becomes healthier when it is guided by self-awareness instead of fear.
@Ilovewatermenlonsomuch
Definitely pushed to salvage relationships that were not good for me. Partners who were just using me and treating me badly but I hung on to the good times thinking that we could resolve the issues and wanting to show unconditional love. But at the end of the day I realized that I need to protect myself and my peace first of all. Learning to walk away from situations that were eating away at me instead of uplifting me has made my life and relationship with myself so much better.
@Ilovewatermenlonsomuch For me, it was some friendships that were not giving me back as much as I was giving. There are some people and some things that you indeed just need to walk away from, and I found a lot of peace in doing that
@Ilovewatermenlonsomuch
Definitely letting my mother be involved with my mental health issues., she was mentally ill herself so it was the blind leading the blind.. I kept tolerating it because I just wanted to believe the best in her but I was just being sabotaged unfortunately and ended up recovering from sabotage over and over. Perseverance sometimes falls flat sometimes but at least I got some educating moments from it.
