Many years ago, a young athlete crouched poised in the starting blocks at the beginning of the high hurdles competition. Behind him was a good part of his lifetime spent in dreaming, training, working, planning and building for this moment. Ahead of him was a chance for the highest of all trophies, an Olympic gold medal. At the gun he shot out of the blocks and streaked down the track. But he misjudged a hurdle, fell, and in a fraction of a second the dream of a lifetime slipped out of his grasp.

He was asked many times the obvious question, “Was it worth it?” Always his answer was the same, “Yes. It isn’t how many times you fall in this life that counts, it’s how many times you get up.”

Thus, it is with each of us. None of us is so talented and skilled that we will accomplish all our dreams without skinned knees, bumped noses, or occasionally falling flat on our faces. If we go through this life with no failures, it will mean simply that we set our goals too low.

One of history’s great examples of tenacity and perseverance is Winston Churchill. When England was on its knees, and most of the free world was reeling from the blows of the Nazi war machine, Churchill hurled his famous challenge to Hitler. Tough as an old English bulldog he stood before the House of Commons and thundered, “…we shall never surrender.” And they never did.

The same principle holds true whether we are defending a nation or building a life. It is the making, not the having; it is the trip not the destination; it is the next pinnacle beyond the one on which we stand that gives life its zest and gives promise to tomorrow.

A few years ago, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania studied the lives of National Spelling Bee finalists. She wanted to find out how they reached this significant accomplishment. Many people assume that they are just smarter than their peers. But the researcher found in these young people a trait more important than intelligence: she found tenacity. She writes: “The finalists are willing to forgo the immediate gratification of watching TV or texting friends so they can spend hours and do the tedious and merciless … work. They write out thousands of flashcards with words and definitions and memorise them.” These teens succeed because they are willing to resist the tugs and pulls of idleness and ease. With the encouragement of supportive parents, they just work harder and never give up.

In the process, they likely discover an important truth: the thrill of victory comes not necessarily from winning, but from doing our best, giving our all, and enduring to the end. On the other hand, the agony of defeat comes not so much from losing, but from quitting.

The same applies to any worthwhile goal—whether it’s completing a five kilometre or run, graduating from the University or vocational school, writing a book, composing a song, or raising a strong family; all these take tenacity, the willpower to see it through to the end. That “end” may be different from what we envisioned, and it may change over time, but the only way to get there is with tenacity.

The root of the word tenacity is a Latin word that means “to hold fast.” And sometimes, holding fast to our goals and dreams may mean letting go of less important pursuits. But it does not feel like a sacrifice, because even if we never win a spelling bee, we can experience the thrill of victory if we have the tenacity to never give up.

And the greatest of all the gifts of God to us is the promise that those tomorrows can go on forever; that growth and continual climbing can be ours, and with them the ever-enlarging vistas and the joy that comes with accomplishment. So, when life is difficult and dreams are far distant, be assured that if they are good and worthy, they will come to pass even if it takes some portion of eternity.

By: Samuel Enos Eghan