Grenfell is a junior public relations and management double major and can be reached at [email protected].

We all have a different story.  There is always something behind why we do the things we do or why we act the way we act. And along with that, there is always something or someone that has helped you get to where you are now. But my goal today is not to necessarily blow your mind with deep, philosophical insight. Rather, my intention is to ultimately stress how powerful the trait of tenacity can really be. Yeah, you have heard it before – don’t ever give up. But just to put the buzz in your ear yet again, don’t ever give up.

Let’s just say that persistence has been in my make-up ever since I was a little tyke. Whether it was learning how to tie my shoes or ride a bike without training wheels, I practiced until I was able to do it. Needless to say, I refused any form of assistance from my mom. It made it a lot more fun to rub it in her face after the fact. But all jokes aside, the mind is potent. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen. That is where tenacity comes in. Tenacity is that “thing” that got me to where I am now.

From shooting hoops in the driveway, to high school ball, to a couple AAU summers, I was eventually able to reach my goal of playing college basketball. Sounds pretty harmless, right? Right! But harmless doesn’t mean easy. Any person working toward an athletic career – or any career for that matter – has to ultimately put their heart and soul into it unless you’re LeBron James and have freakish talent. However, even the best of the best understand that excellence isn’t just handed over. As nice as it would be for Houdini to appear and make us the best, that is not exactly how it works.

So let me break this down. One typically sets a goal and does anything in their power to reach it. When something goes wrong, one might fold and say, “forget about it,” OR one can brush it off and continue on with their plan of attack. In my mind, the only way this is possible is with tenacity or persistence. What is it going to be that pushes you that extra step? More often than not, it is with the help of tenacity. If you want something bad enough, your inner persistence will surely kick in.

There is a catch though. And that is this: persistence is an extremely gutsy thing to have. It’s a risk in itself. It means you have the courage to get up and do it again. It means that even after failing once, you’re not afraid to fail again. But guess what? It’s completely worth it in the end.