Thought for the Day Thursday 5 November 2020 Perseverance The theme for this week is perseverance. To build a real picture of what perseverance means, I spent a few hours searching the Internet for inspiring stories of persistence and determination to achieve success. I read tales such as that of Katherine Grainger, the British rower, who won three consecutive silver medals at different Games, before finally securing a gold in front of a home crowd in London and going on to become our most decorated female Olympian. I learned of Howard Shultz, the American founder of Starbucks, who was rejected by 241 banks when looking for a loan to launch his business; and even of Vincent Van Gogh, who sold only one painting out of the 800 he produced, while facing starvation and homelessness. However, to illustrate true perseverance I would like to share with you the story of a girl named Bethany Hamilton. Bethany was born in Hawaii in 1990 and leaned to surf as soon as she could stand. By the age of 8 she had already won an international surfing competition in Australia and she secured her first sponsorship a year later. Throughout her childhood she lived and breathed surfing and adored spending time in the ocean. It was clear that she was destined to be a professional surfer. Tragically, in 2003, aged just 13, she lost an arm in an attack by a 4.3m tiger shark. By the time she reached hospital she had lost 60% of her blood. It was a miracle she survived. Yet perhaps more incredibly, just 26 days after the attack, Bethany returned to the waves and began teaching herself to surf onehanded. It took immense courage, hard work and determination but only a few months later she returned to competition. She soon turned professional and has been a pioneer for women’s surfing ever since. When asked what the key to her resilience was, Hamilton talked of two different support networks: her family and her faith. Just as Daniel in this week’s Bible Reading turned to God for strength in such a difficult time, Bethany too relied on God for hope. Whether or not you are a religious believer, I would argue that the true key to perseverance is in believing in yourself and in seeking the help of others. First, identify your goal. Next work out an action plan on how you intend to get there, and finally have the determination, commitment and tenacity to put that plan into action. Having a support network that is understanding, encouraging and there for you whenever you need also helps us all through difficult moments, enabling us to succeed. For us here at the RGS, we can turn to our friends, teachers, house mates, and prefects to help us get through the challenges that we face. It may be you don’t understand a Maths topic, or Maths in general in my case ; you may have upcoming tests or exams that you are really dreading; or you may be struggling to become established in a sports team – again, I can relate! It could also be that you are struggling with how to deal with a second national
lockdown. Perseverance has never been more important! There will be tough moments along the way, but ultimately pushing through the challenge to reach the end goal will help you build character and grow as a person. The tougher the mountain you must climb, the greater this personal growth and sense of achievement will be. This view is taken by Michael Jordan, who argues that a lifetime of persevering made him the athlete and the person that he is today. I will leave you with one of his most famous quotations: “I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career, I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game’s winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Christian Moody Deputy School Captain