Run the race with patience and perserverance --- tell your children this story

[scribe1...@yahoo.com]

Remember the 880 race.  It burned the lungs and sapped the strength until you felt you had to quit, but with your mind you decided to keep on going; to keep on enduring through it all.  And then a few strides after that "persevere" thought entered your mind, slowly your body began to respond.  It responded to new levels of desire and ability, and you could run, nay float, on each step, easier than before.  You experienced a second wind during the race, without quitting and resting, suddenly you became like a new person, experiencing new abilities to keep on running, and even running easier than before; and it was like you were floating through the track, not costing as much energy for each step as before, the agony and pain was gone, and now you were just running on air.  Lighter with each step, and swifter than when you began.  Smooth and gliding, lifting and floating through the air with each forward step that now just happened with the harmonious motion of continued forward movement.  Pressing toward the goal is easier when committed to it and you press through any early obstacles, keep pressing until you cross the finish line.

And as that happened in high school 880 race, so it also applies to any other significant achievements of your life.  You have to press through.  No significant achievement is without struggle, desire, and sacrifice.   Sacrifice of effort, of putting forth the effort even when the body or mind would otherwise try telling you to stop and rest to resume again tomorrow or the next day,... some other time for sure, but surely not now.   At such moments are the decisions made to persevere and press through to gain the victory.
It takes a desire of the heart and a right thinking of the mind, a confidence that you can do it ,.... enough to keep on with patience and endure to the end.

Heb 12:1
1 Cor 9:24
Ps 19:5

Where just before you thought you might quit, your legs felt like jelly and your feet like lead weights, and your shoulders hurt to hold your arms; but with that thought to persevere you forgot the pain and the weakness and feeble knees as thoughts focused to keeping on keeping on,...then strength began flowing
and motion, forward motion became harmoniously fluid and easy, as each step became easier in stride than before until you began to soar as running on air with a weightless body,...almost without feeling,... and seeing more clearly the goal drawing near.

This is true to anything you must do or desire to do.  The effort must be paid, the goal must be desired enough to pay the price of personal sacrifice to get the task done.

Tis true in studying a course, a book, a lesson, a skill.
It is true in your connections with people
and in dealing with things.

Study out how perseverance and patience serves to accomplish your desired goal.  For many have chosen instead to take a seat and rest a bit, but then never again had the opportunity to accomplish what they desired.

Time and circumstance change and things happen, which is to say,
Young man, take the tide when it comes and pay the price to catch the wave and keep your balance to finish to the end.

Finish what you begin.
Do not leave a trail of unfinished beginnings.
Complete the task assigned.  Endure through the agony of the struggle.
Your reward is great to do these things.