I’m currently listening to a series on the history of Rome. The narrator speaks about the uncanny ability of the Romans to always come out on top. When we think of Rome, the eternal city and the great empire they built we think that they were always successful, but if you study the history they didn’t win all the battles.
Some were draws and some were utter defeats. The city was sacked and burnt to the ground more than once. But the Romans had a sort of baked in cultural perseverance. They just didn’t give up. Even when they lost they kept going and usually ended up on top. Their soldiers were dogged and relentless. In a sense one of the worst things you could do was defeat them in battle because that usually meant you would be Roman vassals within a generation or however long it took.
I heard a guy speak at an industry panel this week. He is a turn-around specialist that goes into failed and failing companies for investors and, well, turns things around. “He explained that he does two things to create positive change in these companies. First he tells them “I’m like a diamond, you can keep pushing against me but I’m not going to break, I’m not going to go away, I can outlast you.” And the second he said was that any change was a win because he was starting with a very low bar – so it was easy to produce wins by any kind of forward movement.
So, my friends, in these months late in the year when all things seems stressed and muddled, even if your victories are few and your challenges many, be dogged and relentless. Believe in your own personal manifest destiny and be hard like a diamond when others try to push you off it.
I’ll keep moving forward and see you out there,