Things will work out. They always do A look at faith and perseverance

Things will work out. They always do A look at faith and perseveranceThings will work out. They always do A look at faith and perseveranceThe biggest human temptation is to settle for too little. - Thomas MertonThrough every peak and valley of our lives, faith and perseverance will continue to be the two biggest keys that permit us to move forward. Our goal is to make progress, to keep advancing and to keep furthering our human potential. Believing in ourselves and believing that things will work out in our favor is a great beginning. Continuing on course to victory is how we finish.When I speak at conferences and at events, very often Im asked after a talk about the best piece of advice Ive ever received - or words of wisdom that have always stuck with me. I realize that I turn back to maxims or words that often boil down to very foundational values and principles. This one from my Dad resonates with meThings will work out. They always do.Ill admit, at first blush it may seem like this is the ultimate I dont have any control, so I surrender to the unknown way of living. And yet, its actually elend. Far from it. Simple. Impactful. Full on control. Faith and perseverance are two things that we can control. Faith - particularly faith in ourselves - is fundamentally a function of our attitude.We can choose to believe, or we can choose not to. Perseverance is all about a willingness to see things through, to envision things positively working out even if they dont work out exactly the way we thought they would.The more Ive advanced in my career, the more Ive realized the wisdom of these words. For those of us have a future-seeking, opportunistic mindset, these words matter a great deal. When youre already confident and self-assured that things will work out in your favor, your mind is at ease and more focused to achieve your goals.A few years ago when I took the StrengthsFinder strengths assessment, I ended up with Futuristic as my number one strength. Whats cr azy is that sometimes, I think of that as a weakness and not a strength It can sometimes lead to a feeling of inadequacy or pressing. And yet, its also my biggest asset.What about for you? What do you find to be your biggest strength? Can you see how this can sometimes be a weakness in some circumstances?My Dad has always encouraged me not to sweat the small stuff. And to keep the big picture in mind. Whatever youre choosing to do today, begin with victory. This is why Im such a huge proponent of reverse-engineering. You already have the prize, you just dont know it yet. Build from that. Stay self-assured, resolute and confident. Things will work out. They always do.Building with faithYou have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. - Steve JobsThings may not always work out the way we originally thought or envisioned, but that doesnt mean they dont work out. Often, theyre far better than originally expected. This is why modifying, improvising and changing things up is all about Just because we thought things would happen one way, then didnt, doesnt mean we should get distressed and give up.In some instances, maybe we havent aimed high enough. Maybe we set the bar too low. Aim as high as you can, within reason. Why aim lower? This doesnt mean to set unrealistic goals that end up in disappointment. This means to set powerful targets for achievement in front of you that promote an attitude of expectancyWhat does this mean?Optimism. Hope. Encouraged confidence. An attitude of expectancy charges our battery with the inspiration, belief and fuel to lead us to work that we love. To moments that will continue empowering us to move forward.Dr. Jeremy E. Sherman writes in Psychology TodayWe work from the evidence at hand to (place) confidence in a bet we think will work. And work is the point of faith Only so many hours in the day and we dont use them just fo r wondering, but for doing focused work. Since most things take concerted effort and time, we need to focus. Focused work is concentrated work, work based on consistent bets on what will work.I like to think of this as small bets - small, continuous bets of faith on ourselves to continue pushing forward.Finishing with perseveranceIn the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm in the real world all rests on perseverance. - Johann Wolfgang von GoetheWhat are you compromising within your life today? What are you settling on that is not even close to good enough? Dont settle, even when the results dont appear right away. Because in so many instances, they dont show themselves in as timely a manner as we think they should. The results that we desire wont always reveal themselves immediately.Ive come to realize, this is one of the biggest reasons why so many people give up. Its not a loss of hope. Its not a loss of faith. Its not even fear, because when we keep working and stay positive, fear eventually subsides.So many people give up because they expect to receive an output in very short order after an input. When youre raking leaves and looking to create a leaf pile, that may work out for you. But when youre trying to grow ideas or influence, build a business, do things that are less linear, and perhaps more abstract, youll find that the results often come several iterations down the road.If you crave structure, then youll want to find yourself working within an environment that is giving you outputs with efficiency. If youre willing to tolerate more risk, less definition, yet with greater reward, I encourage you to stay the course for what you believe. Could be your own writing career. Maybe its launching your own business.Dont get discouraged if the results dont immediately appear. Things have a way of working themselves out for those who continue to apply what theyve learned, what they believe and what they desire to do every day.Stop beating yourself up and hurting on the inside because you perceive that you havent done enough. We should all be great competitors and looking to best our best efforts, but we shouldnt go crazy in the process with worry. Allow yourself to give things up to faith. Keep going to see things through to a result you desire.If youre willing to stick it out and believe, youll find that life continues to unfold in your favor.Make it workJoin my newsletter and check out my bestselling book, The Value of You. This will give you inspiration to start planning for success on your journey. If youre interested in working with metry me here.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.