Perseverance pays off

Wise Words: persevere and perseverance

The US is the only country in the industrialized world where people can become unemployed and uninsured at one fell swoop. US President Obama has made it his number one priority to change that. He has persevered despite protests from the left and the right — and even from within his own party.

This week, he got another step closer to his dream of overhauling the healthcare system when the US House of Representatives voted to pass his healthcare reform bill. On Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid tribute to the late Senator Edward Kennedy at a ceremony before sending the healthcare reform bill to President Obama for signing. Pelosi recognized Kennedy’s role in making the passage of major healthcare reforms possible. "Up until his last days, [Kennedy] had an influence on this legislation in the most positive way," she said.

In What I’ve learned (Business Spotlight 2/2010), we feature the late Senator Kennedy. He was a controversial character, who experienced tragedy, scandals and political success during his life. He died last August after losing a battle with brain cancer.

What was the greatest lesson he had learned? “If you persevere… you have a real opportunity to achieve something,” he wrote in his memoir, True Compass. 

There are a lot of people who are celebrating this week that Obama persevered with Kennedy’s cause. It should be a lesson to all of us.

President Obama and Sen. Ted Kennedy participate in a national service event. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

Examples in use

If you persevere, you continue with an action even if you know that there is little chance of success.

persevere (with) = durchhalten (bei), festhalten (an)

"You should persevere with your dream of becoming a pilot!"

perseverance = Beharrlichkeit, Ausdauer

"If you believe in yourself you can overcome this with perseverance."