Did You Know That George Washington…
, we chatted about Admiral McRaven’s and Ryan Holiday’s take on Courage.
Remember: Courage is calling. All we need to do is take JUST ONE STEP.
Today I want to explore some more wisdom from McRaven’s great new book, The Hero Code.
As you may recall, The Hero Code has ten virtues: Courage. Humility. Sacrifice. Integrity. Compassion. Perseverance. Duty. Hope. Humor. Forgiveness.
Let’s shine a spotlight on the sixth virtue, Perseverance.
We’ll invite Admiral McRaven back to the party to share his wisdom on the subject.
He tells us: “I believe history will show that success is not just a function of brains or brawn, of talent or intellect, of skill or resourcefulness, but of perseverance. Genius without resolve is just another passing person with a bright idea. Athletic prowess without determination is just another talent wasted. The world is filled with men and women who amounted to nothing because they gave up on their dreams: because they didn’t have the guts, the determination, the willpower to keep going—no matter what. But history is equally replete with heroes who fought through the challenges, persevered, and made a difference.
Perseverance.
It does a noble Hero good.
That first paragraph reminds me of this classic Calvin Coolidge wisdom:
And, although I knew about Lincoln’s failures and J. K. Rowling’s challenges before Harry Potter success (check out our Notes on Leadership in Turbulent Times for more on Lincoln and our collection of Notes on all the Harry Potter books here), I never knew that about George Washington.
Isn’t it fascinating to imagine him losing more battles than he won?!
Thank you, George, for persevering.
(Seriously. Thank you, sir. I don’t take the freedom my country affords me for granted as I know that you fought for SEVEN YEARS to fulfill the Declaration of Independence. )
And…
THAT’s Today’s +1.
Perseverance.
It does a noble Hero good.
Today.