The screensaver on my computer is often an interesting conversation-starter. What is so appealing about this pile of rocks that would inspire me to look at this picture so many times on any given day?
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| "Monument to the Finnish sisu" on a fell in Lapland |
I have the typical American "melting pot" family heritage of a little bit of many nationalities -- French, German, English, Irish, German, Danish, and Finnish. However, with both of my maternal great-grandparents having immigrated from the Suomussalmi area of Finland in the late 1800s and early 1900s, I'm proud to say I'm more Finn than anything. Through dabbling in a growing genealogy hobby and building my family tree online, I've "met" several distant relatives back in Finland. I've enjoyed their lessons to me in trying to learn the language and more about my ancestors' homeland than I ever knew about before.
"Sisu", I've learned, is the one term that sums up the culture of Finland and its people. Finland, a sparsely populated northern European country, long under the rule of both Sweden and Russia until finally gaining independence in 1917, is not small in spirit. Sisu means perseverance... strength of will... determination and perseverance. And not just a passing effort of strength either. Sisu means determination even to the point of keeping the fight when most people would have already given up in defeat. With a tough history and the harsh winters the Finnish people have been accustomed to endure, it's no wonder that Finns naturally have such strong-willed determination.
So, back to my screensaver... why do I keep this image of this pile of rocks front and center of my daily attention? Well, I must say I'm juggling a lot of big projects and responsibilities these days. Everything seems equally critical and important and high in priority, screaming for immediate attention. There are many days where often it feels like there's just not enough of me to go around. It can be discouraging and it's often tempting to just give up... tempting to just look for something easier.
The Sisu monument picture serves as a good reminder to me to not give up... to keep persevering. The results will be worth it in the end if I just keep trying.
So, today I leave you with these seeds of joyful thought and encouragement. After all, I'm Finn - never finished!
Please share with us what keeps you motivated to persevere.
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The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground.
~Author Unknown
Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired
of doing the hard work you already did.
~Newt Gingrich
Stubbornly persist, and you will find that the limits of your stubbornness
go well beyond the stubbornness of your limits.
~Robert Brault
I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday.
~Author Unknown
As a means to success, determination has this advantage over talent -
that it does not have to be recognized by others.
~Robert Brault
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
~William Feather
