When faced with challenges, doubt and anxiety, let perseverance be your guide

Over the past couple of months, several doctors have told me that they are dealing with the fear of illness and another shutdown, as well as working harder than ever before. I agree: The past three months have been much more stressful than the first three months of this COVID-19 crisis. We are brainstorming, implementing, assessing, retooling and changing at a pace we never could have imagined. We are trying our hardest, doing our best and praying. I admit I have had my days of tearful discouragement and frustration, at which time I take a deep breath, say a prayer and get back in the game.

A word that I think of daily is “perseverance” — persistence in doing something regardless of difficulty or delay in achieving success.

COURAGE IN PAST SUCCESSES

When you face obstacles, do you think back to other challenging times and take courage in the successes you or someone you know has experienced? One story I draw from is that of my then 4-year-old son, Aidan. I will never forget this hot summer Saturday. I was cleaning the house when my 6-year-old daughter came inside excitedly demanding my husband David and I go out back and watch our son jump on the pogo stick he had been given for his birthday.

I asked her what was going on, and she said, “Mom, Aidan just jumped 600 times in a row on his pogo stick.” Of course, I thought she was joking; however, David and I dropped everything and went outside to watch.

I can picture it even now, 85° outside and my 4-year-old, dripping with sweat, said, “Mom, Dad, tell me when to go.” David said “go,” and the jumping began. As we counted under our breath, I could not believe what I was seeing. At 300 jumps, I was crying; at 400, I was worried he was going to have heat stroke; and at 500 jumps, I was holding my breath, hoping he would get to 600 again, as he had promised he would. As he passed 600, we all cheered, and he kept jumping. Aidan set a world record that day, and none of us had a clue. What we did know was that this little 4-year-old practiced for four weeks to achieve a goal he had silently set for himself. By meeting that goal, he learned (as did his entire family) that there is no substitute for perseverance.

“I KNEW I COULD DO IT”

I will always remember that moment. He wasn’t old enough to believe he couldn’t do something, and he didn’t have people around him speaking negative thoughts. He set a goal, practiced and learned from his mistakes, all the while visualizing success. He told us, “I knew I could do it if I just practiced enough.”

We are in a time when much of what we are facing can only be figured out by trial and error. You will have moments where you will get discouraged and, in those moments, remember that day you graduated from optometry school and how proud you were of what you accomplished. Next, I want you to picture yourself where you want to be. Then, get busy getting there. As Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” OM

Email: april.jasper@pentavisionmedia.com

Twitter: @DrAprilJasper

Facebook: @OptometricManagement