Why Persistence is the Best Daily Practice
As a strategist for business and creatives, I find that persistence in perspective separates the most successful and happy folks from those who may be financially successful but inherently insecure in what they are here to offer the world. What does that mean? That having a clear and consistent point of view is the key to a path of joy, even in the face of the big changes and the unraveling of old systems and beliefs in our world.
Persistence in perspective is a master’s journey, and if you’re in business or writing a book, leading a team, or coaching others, you’re on it.
My perspective is clear just after my morning meditation. I feel grounded, centered, and able to excel at my day. When the email box opens up, the news feed triggers, and the kids throw me curve balls (anyone out there raising a teenager—you deserve some extra hugs), it can feel as though the once steady ground is on wheels. I may realize there are some deadlines missing from my Outlook calendar, or my husband is out of town during a time I’d scheduled a conference—inevitably, something arises that is bound to destabilize what calm had permeated my post-meditation mind.
In these moments, it’s easy to lose perspective and become reactive. Our persistence in our worldview flags. We may doubt a decision or waffle over a pending choice. We may feel unsafe or frustrated.
This is where we need to expand our perspective, remain persistent, and continue to move toward our goals. Goals give our days purpose, and perspective. Persistence is a stubborn optimism that finds solid ground again, even if that solid ground is charred, cracked, or on another continent.
What feeds your broader, brighter perspective? In times as harrowing as those we’ve had this year with the climate changing faster than our infrastructure can manage, I have found a lifeline in morning and afternoon rituals. I share these in hopes to keep you strong, joyful, and engaged in your highest perspective, always, persistently.
Morning Perspective Rituals
- Mindfully boil water for tea. Listen to the water as it bubbles and bursts. It is a treasure to have tea in the morning. Inhale the aroma and become fully engaged in the process of tasting.
- Read poetry before you check your email. I find insight and perspective in Hafiz, Mary Oliver, and Robert Bly. Poets are the scribes of the soul, remind your mind how your soul actually speaks through reading one or two inspired poems before your check into the office, or the surface world.
- Journal by hand for five minutes. I write with a fabulous pen in a beautifully bound journal, and it’s like shaking out an asleep leg. As I write, my mind runs around incoherently for a minute or two before it closes in on a higher purpose. Perspective of the bigger picture, broader goals, and wondrous callings arrive in these pages. I am able to retune to the harkening of my calling, my soul, as the words appear. Journaling has also proven to help alleviate physical pain. As you physically write, you can feel things leave your body.
- Earplugs. Bose noise cancelling headset. Silence. If you are a sensitive (if you’re on this mailing list, it’s safe to assume you are J), you will be sensitive to sound. I had an insight a few months ago (while journaling) that if I could physically block out some of the noise from the pets, kids, and neighborhood leaf blowers, I could concentrate more. This was one of my greatest discoveries—ever. Since wearing earplugs in the mornings, as I’m doing these rituals, I can hear my guidance crystal clear. I can write, read, concentrate, and I feel like I’m in a held space—a bubble of connective thought and clarity. This simple ritual has become a game changer for editing and writing—both tasks I do several hours each day.
- Tending to the altar. Sometimes it can feel like your iPhone is your altar. You tend to it more often than you tend to your heart, mind, or body. People text now as if it were a lifeline—and to some, it’s both validation and a quick fix—getting that red dot on your phone pulls you toward connection—does it not? But what you are really, truly craving is tending to an altar. One of my authors, Lama Tsultrim Allione says, “A home without an altar is like a body without a soul.” And I find this to be both a dramatic and true statement. We crave that which is sacred. Keeping an altar helps center your home, your mind, and your thoughts. It gives reverence to the mundane world. I use a Tibetan singing bowl to clear the air. I sage my body with a smudge stick. I pray for my family, friends, and nature. I light a candle and some incense. These simple rituals will bring you renewed perspective and grace.
While many of our lives are held steady in persistence, they are not always centered by our higher purpose’s perspective. For me, persistence in the daily rituals allows my mind a constant cleansing bath, opening my eyes to unexpected nuance and opportunity. When we can see clearly, we can make clear decisions. When we can persistently center, we can achieve audacious goals. The point is to find what works for you to keep your heart and mind connected. What matters is that you feel like you can get your head above the clouds in order to chart a distinguished, fulfilling path. You are on the mastery road of creating your life, day by day, word by word, interaction by interaction. Do what it will take to keep yourself well-cared for, and watch the world meld to your higher perspective in miraculous ways. If we can keep our persistence of perspective, I am confident we can recreate our world.
What keeps you clearly connected to your higher purpose? I’d love to hear in the comments.
Here’s to your success, today, tomorrow, and always.
