Article September 8, 1997 Issue

Why persevere?

Judith E. Cole

Do you like to play baseball or go in-line skating? Maybe you like to play piano and help Dad change the oil in the car. When it's time to help around the house, you're probably ready to give a hand. Sometimes, though, when projects take too long or the work is really hard, you may be temped to stop, leaving jobs unfinished. This can cause problems especially when it comes to schoolwork, and with friends and family, who expect us to follow through with what we say we will do.

Here's a story I once heard that shows what perseverance is and why it's important. Three frogs found themselves unexpectedly in a white liquid. They did not recognize the smell, texture, or taste. They soon found that the harder they paddled the tougher it was for them to keep going. One frog said, "I'm tired and cannot go on anymore." With that, he stopped paddling and lazily floated along.

The other two frogs continued to paddle. After a while, the second frog said: "This is too hard! I keep working, but it only gets harder. I'm not going to do this anymore." He, too, stopped.

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