SERIES
THINGS I LEARNED…
While teaching everyone else
LIFE’S ALL ABOUT PERSISTENCE
NOT SO LONG AGO, SOUTH AFRICANS, AND INDEED
people the world over, celebrated the annual Comrades Marathon. An ultra-marathon
of just less than 90 kilometres, it’s arguably
one of the most gruelling races on the planet. I look at people in my community who
ran this race and ask myself what motivates
an otherwise normal person, a regular guy
or woman, to undertake such maddening
punishment of their own free will. And, of
course, there are the months of training
that must go into it before the big race.
Is it like the mountaineer who said he
climbed the daunting peak just “because
it was there”? One can only imagine how
invigorating and energising facing such a
colossal challenge must be. Is it the power, the adrenalin, or the sense of gratification at the end of it all? I have no doubt
that the feelings of joy and contentment
in realising such astonishing aspirations
must be indescribable.
But, how, in fact, do they do it? How do
these ordinary men and women, the vast
majority of whom are not professional
athletes, just keep going on and on, and
on, for so many hours?
Of course there is the training and
28 JEWISH LIFE
ISSUE 86
commitment. But I’ve also discovered
that many Comrades heroes live by their
own principles and favourite maxims that
give them strength and courage when the
chips are down. They all say it’s a case of
mind over matter, of the spirit pushing
the body way beyond its natural capacity.
Here are some they’ve shared with me.
“It’s not how far your legs can take you but
about how far your mind can take you.”
“The only competition you have is inside
yourself; the voice saying quit!”
One athlete even quoted Gandhi, who
once characteristically affirmed: “Strength
does not come from physical capacity; it
comes from an indomitable will.”
Indeed, perseverance, determination,
tenacity and grit are the stuff of legends.
Calvin Coolidge, America’s 30th president, is responsible for some notable
lines that became much more famous
than he did. I wonder how many South
Africans have even heard of Coolidge. He
was a quiet man, but when he spoke, his
words were saturated with wisdom.
Here’s one of his gems on the subject:
“Nothing in this world can take the place of
persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more
common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost
a proverb. Education will not; the world is full
of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
How many of us have not been persistent or determined and have retired too
soon in our own ‘races of life’? How many
have lost hope and thrown in the towel
only to discover that, had they persevered,
things would have worked out after all? So
many of us have allowed our fondest
dreams to dissipate because we didn’t wait
long enough to allow them to materialise.
I have seen far too many individuals resign themselves to failure or mediocrity
because they lost their faith, hope, or patience. Whether it is about finding one’s
soul mate, raising a family, making a success in business, or completing a life’s
project, one needs all the above qualities
in abundance.
I know lots of people who told me they
stopped making New Year’s resolutions because they have had the bitter experience
that the previous resolutions didn’t last
very long at all. So, why bother? On the
other hand, I’ve had plenty of success stories with people who did persevere and
stuck it out through thick and thin and
I’VE DISCOVERED THAT MANY COMRADES HEROES
LIVE BY THEIR OWN PRINCIPLES AND FAVOURITE
MAXIMS THAT GIVE THEM STRENGTH AND COURAGE
WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN.
PHOTOGRAPH: BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM; PORTRAIT: ILAN OSSENDRYVER
BY RABBI YOSSY GOLDMAN