Perseverance

     There are times in life when you question why. Times you can see a reality that you can't quite reach, where you keep holding on and giving it your all, even when you don't know what will happen. It's during these times of challenge that we grow, having to overcome our own mental battles with the will to carry on. These instances are nothing new to any of us, and they're something we all experience. But, when they come, it's easy to feel alone, as if you're the only one with a problem. One of the most common, yet one of the most daunting times when this happens is when you're in the midst of a job search. Through all of the applications, phone calls, networking, interviews, and everything else involved, there's one key character quality that can keep you going until you've reached your goal: perseverance.

     The first step in persevering towards anything is having a goal worth persevering for. Of course, perseverance applies to many different situations, not just the job search that I mentioned above. Coming up with a worthwhile goal in itself is not a simple task and it seems these kinds of goals often arise unexpectedly. Something goes wrong or something is not the way you want it to be and you realize that it's going to take great effort to create the change you seek. But, these kinds of scenarios can also be exciting because they give you the motivation to get out of bed in the morning and to give your best effort, even when the gratification is not the instantaneous kind that we frequently demand nowadays. It's important to remember that the goal you have may not always be a popular one or even one that anyone else thinks you can achieve. What matters is that you believe in it and that you are willing to do the hard work required to get it done.

     One of the elements of persevering towards any goal is learning how to deal with the inevitable setbacks. There will always be factors beyond your control and things you would have done differently if you had known at the time. The good thing about setbacks is that they often humble you and make you re-evaluate where you're at. This reflection can allow you to refine your efforts, discover something new about where you're going, and strengthen your resolve. Setbacks also often force you to rely on others for support and remind you that while your goal may be your own, we need others in order to succeed in this world. It's not just people we look to though, as it seems the times we are quickest to run to God is when something goes wrong and we don't think anyone else can help us. Ultimately, without setbacks, perseverance wouldn't exist.

     Focusing more on that whole God thing, before this latest job search, there had been one main life event life that I often referenced as the cornerstone upon which my faith was solidified. Well, after this experience I seem to have another. You can call it whatever you like regarding why things happened the way they did, but this is what I'm going with. I had the feeling of that I should head towards the non-profit sector for quite a while. However, when I was just about to start an Americorps program with a non-profit last fall, the organization I was matched with backed out, leaving me no option to be a part of the program. That set off a long job search process, which first involved me figuring out exactly what it was I wanted to do. Through various interviews, reviewing the results from the career counseling I took during my undergrad, talks with friends and mentors, and some prayer, I realized what my next step was. I tried various different methods but I finally landed on an opportunity through an online job board that I was truly excited about. This was just the beginning though, as the interview process wasn't easy.

     First, I had to persevere in following up on the opportunity. If you ever get advice about following up on applications you submit to make sure you've reached the actual hiring manager, take that advice. That's what sparked the first actual phone conversation with my now manager. I went through three rounds over the course of a month and a half, where I answered a variety of questions from several different people. I had to patiently wait each time, never knowing when or if I was going to hear back. During all of this, my prayers grew stronger, as did my passion for the opportunity and my feeling that this was finally the one. I continued to say that no matter what happened, I was giving the end result to God because I knew I had given it my all. As I've discovered through other life events, God has a sense of humor. I kept hearing from others that I needed to give it 2 full years in my then current job before making the decision to move on. Well, I was given the new job offer and announced I was leaving on the day of my 2 year anniversary. The looks from my co-workers quickly changed from anniversary celebration to shock. But for me, all I could do was laugh. I knew that God had a purpose for things turning out the way they did, as He always does. He was testing my faith, as He said would happen in 1 Peter 1:7 where it states "7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

     After all that, I ended up in a much better position than what I would have been in with the Americorps program. The mission I'm a part of now is a solid one that I feel truly connected to.To share what I'm now a part of, my new employer is US SIF and our mission is to "Rapidly shift investment practices towards sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts." I'm using my business background, my own investing interests, and my desire to create long term positive change through my work to make a real measurable impact on our society and the world. And God knew it would happen all along.

     Overall, I believe that perserverance is one of the most important character traits we can have. It is through perseverance that we accomplish our goals, realize our dreams, and change the world. I've recently been reading the biography of Steve Jobs and I've seen how strongly he persevered in everything he did, despite having one person after another tell him that he was wrong or that something couldn't be done. It's his perseverance in doing what needed to be done and having that vision for the way things could be that impacts our lives every time we pick up our smartphones, sit at our computers, or enjoy the unending blockbusters that come from Pixar. In this world, nothing that's truly worth having or doing comes easily and it's up to each individual to determine how far they are willing to go. But as I have learned, yet again, it's only after you've chopped down the metaphorical tree that you can enjoy the fire and feel fully satisfied, knowing that none of it would have been possible had you not persevered.