Perseverance: Vanquishing Skepticism, One Non-Believer at a Time
While venturing down the corridor of achievement, there are a number of keys required to open all the locked doors leading to what you want most in life, and there’s no debating that one of the most crucial keys to have in your possession is perseverance. How often do you hear anecdotes of someone with a propensity of giving up easily ever achieving something great? Knowing what you want and devising a strategy to obtain it is one thing, but having truly unshakable confidence in yourself, impenetrable positivity, and a relentless drive in the face of adversity will grant you passage deep into that corridor.
While it’s not uncommon to hear inspirational stories of perseverance from celebrities like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and high-powered CEOs like the late Steve Jobs, the story of how Sylvester Stallone went from rags to riches is arguable one of the most compelling tales of never giving up on your dreams and the power of believing in yourself.
As a struggling actor, Stallone was rejected over 1,000 times by agents largely due to his paralysis disability in his lower left jaw resulting in slurred speech. As the rejections piled up, he faced some extremely hard times financially. He sold whatever he could to try and pay the bills, including his wife’s jewelry. However, it wasn’t enough and he found himself homeless, living at a New Jersey bus terminal for weeks. The lowest point in Stallone’s struggle was when he sold his dog to a stranger outside a liquor store for $25, as he could no longer afford to feed his best friend.
The turning point for Stallone came when he watched a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. Inspired, he immediately got to work and wrote for 20 hours straight, cranking out the script for Rocky. A studio offered him $125,000 for the script, but Stallone had one request… he wanted to star as Rocky Balboa. The studio laughed and refused the stipulation. They wanted a “real” actor. In spite of his financial hardship, Stallone walked away from the offer. Shortly thereafter, the studio approached him, doubling their offer for the script to $250,000. Believing in himself and knowing this was the best opportunity he had to get a leading role, he declined the offer. The studio went as high as offering $350,000 for the script. Again, Stallone refused. If he was going to make it as an actor, he knew he needed to be the Rocky front man.
Some time passed and the studio finally gave in to his request. The new offer was $35,000 and the agreement to cast him in the leading role. Stallone accepted and his stardom was born. Stallone went on to be nominated for the Best Actor category at the Academy Awards, and Rocky walked away with Oscars for Best Film Editing, Best Directing, and Best Picture.
Stallone showed exemplary perseverance as he turned down a small fortune multiple times, all while he was struggling to keep a roof over his head. He knew what he wanted, and he was willing to sacrifice everything he had to realize his dream of being an actor. He knew if he took a normal job it would slowly eat away at his drive to achieve his dream. At first, it would divert his focus and time. Then, complacency could set in if he didn’t have to scrap for a living on a daily basis. Instead, he capitalized on the pain of his plight and became one of the most famous actors of all time, appearing in over 70 films.
(As a side note, he tracked down the stranger who purchased his dog outside that liquor store and bought him back… for $15,000!)
If it wasn’t for the perseverance of others throughout history, our lives would be very different today. Think about it. What would life be like if Thomas Edison gave up after a few hundred attempts at developing the light bulb, or if Alexander Graham Bell threw in the towel at the frustration he experienced before successfully testing an operational telephone? Where would we be without the numerous failed attempts at creating flying machine prototypes by Orville and Wilbur Wright before creating the world’s first airplane? What if Benjamin Franklin didn’t spend countless hours inventing the Franklin Stove and the lightning rod? Without the perseverance of these inventors, we would be exposing our homes to open flames every evening for light and heat, wishing we could talk to or see our loved ones who live in distant locations, all while hoping the lightning storm outside wasn’t going to destroy our homes and community. The world would be very different if it wasn’t for those who tirelessly poured their heart, sweat, and tears into creating such inventions to improve our quality of life.
Whether you are an inspiring actor or a future revolutionary inventor, one extremely important characteristic of perseverance is to not pay heed to those who mock you for your goals and dreams. Undoubtedly, if you are working to achieve something non-traditional or something that’s never been done before, there will be no shortage of folks during your journey who will ignore, laugh, ridicule, and discredit you and your efforts. There are a number of reasons why people display this type of behavior including personal insecurities and jealousy of what you might actually achieve. This behavior is especially prevalent in the workplace as there is almost always some element of perceived competition between individuals, regardless of position or department. These folks don’t want their coworkers to succeed in achieving something extraordinary, in fear of having their self-affirmed prominence be outshined by another. It’s absolutely critical that these negative forces are never allowed to get a firm grasp of your ambition as it’s hold will slowly, but continually, tighten and eventually choke out the resolve you once exhibited.
A great example of upholding one’s unwavering conviction in the face of public ridicule is the story of Robert Goddard. Goddard had the revolutionary vision to utilize liquid fueled rockets to advance our ability of flight, but the scientific community mocked him for his preposterous ideas. Not letting the societal negativity deteriorate his commitment, Goddard pressed forward with his research and helped move humanity into an age of space exploration. Over the past number of decades, our exploration of the final frontier has resulted in numerous advancements in technology including camera phones, CAT scans, LEDs, home insulation, scratch-resistant lenses, wireless headsets, and artificial limbs to name a few.
Great accomplishments can be achieved by adopting a mindset of true perseverance. Genuinely believing in yourself, focusing everything you have on your goals, and never allowing the negativity and rejection of others who don’t share your vision to breakdown your resolve will clear the path to the attainment of your aspirations. The journey may be long and turbulent, but remember the words of Josephus Daniels, “defeat never comes to any man until he admits it.”
Date Published: 9/30/2020