Passion and Perseverance

Passion and Perseverance

By Nancy Cozart

“Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion”. – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Passion and Perseverance

Passion and perseverance are key ingredients in the recipe for success! Find your passion, draw on your experiences and follow your dreams. Even the word “impossible” says “I’m Possible”.

Don’t let anyone stand in your way. Everything you ever wanted may be one step outside of your comfort zone.  With passion, perseverance, dedication and commitment, anything is possible.  Even when you are surrounded by negativity and despair…you have the power within to rise above.

Beauty in the World

There is great beauty in the world.  Nature paints a wonderland of beauty.  From the crimson sunsets beyond the horizon to the crystal blue and white capped ocean waves crashing upon the shore, there is beauty throughout our world.  I enjoy planting flowers in my garden because they are so beautiful.

When I think of flowers, I am reminded of the beautiful paintings by Vincent Van Gogh.  Vincent Van Gogh is one of my personal heroes. I have a great appreciation for his works of art.  Many of his paintings featured beautiful landscapes and flowers. When I think of the late, great artist Vincent Van Gogh, I am reminded of his passion and how that passion led him to paint beautiful works of art.

Overcoming Challenges

You may not know that Vincent Van Gogh suffered from depression. He was impoverished. He was quite literally a starving artist. He had difficulties selling his paintings. Despite these challenges, he pursued his dreams of being an artist. He was very passionate about his work.

Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime: “Red Vineyard at Arles”. The rest of Van Gogh’s more than 900 paintings were not sold until after his death. Through all of his struggles, Van Gogh never lost his sense of passion and his love of art. He loved his work and he did not want to give up on his dreams. He pursued his passion, despite being able to support himself or make a living wage.  Changing his career path was not an option for Van Gogh, because he chose to follow his dreams and his passions.  It would have been easy for Van Gogh to give up on his dreams. He could have thrown in the towel and decided to choose a different career.

Vincent Van Gogh spent some of his life institutionalized due to suffering from major depression.  Despite being institutionalized, Van Gogh painted some of his most beautiful works of art while being treated for depression. Vincent Van Gogh once ate yellow paint because he was feeling so low that he thought the color yellow would help to cheer him up.  He had sank to the depths of his despair. Despite those challenges, he continued to pursue his passions. He continued to paint. Nothing could ever stand in the way of Vincent Van Gogh and his passion and dedication of being an artist.  He continued to paint with great passion and commitment even when his world was falling apart.

The woman that he loved rejected him.  He was so upset that he cut off part of his own ear lobe and sent it to her in the mail, begging her to come back to him.  He was unlucky in love and life while he was alive. However, he never gave up on his passion for painting.

The Definition of Success

While he was alive, Vincent Van Gogh may have been considered a failure to some. On the surface, he may have seemed like a failure because the work that he was doing was not resulting in financial gain. He was not a wealthy man.  However, when you look beyond the superficial criteria of what constitutes success, you will see that Vincent Van Gogh was anything but a failure. He was a success.  He succeeded in painting more than 900 paintings in his lifetime.

The definition of success may mean different things to different people. When measured monetarily, success has one meaning.  When measured by the impact that your actions have on others, success can have an entirely different meaning.

Van Gogh only sold one painting  in his lifetime and he failed to make enough money to support himself.  However, Van Gogh succeeded in following his dreams. He followed his passions. As a result, he gave a great gift to the world. He shared his talents and his gifts with the rest of the world.  He persevered despite many challenges and he succeeded in painting more than 900 beautiful paintings. Those paintings did not result in monetary wealth for Van Gogh when  he was alive. But those same paintings are on display in museums and they are worth a fortune today.

By that definition, Vincent Van Gogh was a tremendously successful artist.  It is all about perspective.  How you look at the world.  Success can be defined in many ways.

Overcoming Obstacles 

Despite obstacles that may stand in your way, there is always a way to achieve your goals and dreams.

Look to others as a source of inspiration.  For example, J.K. Rowling overcame many obstacles before becoming a successful author of the Harry Potter series of books.  Before the success of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling was a single mother on welfare. She was unable to support herself and her young daughter. She was suffering from depression. She was unemployed. She considered herself a complete failure. Fortunately, she got help for her depression. She had talent in writing, and she decided to pursue her passion for writing.

The idea for the Harry Potter series had come to her years before, on a train ride from Manchester to London. Rowling finished the first two books of the series while she was still on welfare.  At first, J.K. Rowling faced rejection, as 12 major publishing houses in the U.K. rejected her books. Despite obstacles, she persevered. She continued to pursue getting her books published.

Today, the Harry Potter series of books is the highest selling book series in the world. As of 2017, J.K. Rowling is now the most successful female author of all time.  She is the world’s highest paid author.

This is a perfect example of how success is possible, despite obstacles.

Finding Passion in Your Life

What are you passionate about?  What are your dreams, ambitions and goals in life?  What are some things that you have always wanted to do?  Finding passion in your life may be easy for you. Or it might be a challenge.  If there is something you are passionate about, you should follow your dreams.  Persevere and find a way to turn your dreams into reality.  If anyone tells you that you can’t do it, do not listen to them. You have great strength from within.  You can accomplish anything that you set your mind on.  There may be people who do not believe in you. But you do not have to listen to them. You can believe in yourself. Surround yourself with positive people and do not let negativity stand in the way between you and your goals.

Life is a series of ups and downs. Peaks and valleys.  Much like a rollercoaster, life is a series of twists and turns, and inclines and drops.  The secret is to hold on, persevere, follow your passions and never give up hope.  You have the power within. You have had it all along.  If you have dreams, you should follow them. Be passionate. Persevere. Do not give up on your dreams.

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Photography and article by Nancy Cozart

Photo credits: Nancy Cozart