On his audio tape, Small Comforts, Tom Bodett tells a story about a little boy, dressed in a raincoat, armed with a lunch box and a box of crayons – waiting for the school bus on the first day of school. Tom described the look of fear on his face and how he was visibly biting his lip. But in his eyes, he could see the boy was resolute – he was going through with it. The moral of Tom’s story was, “If you want to get anywhere in life, you’ve got to be willing to get on the bus.” It takes courage and persistence to overcome anxieties and step onto that bus.
Never underestimate the power of any person who possesses a persistent disposition. For example, ask any parent the meaning of the phrase, “My son (or daughter) wore me down.” Here’s a story about my daughter, Courtney, that demonstrates this idea. When she was four years old, her mother (Deb) was reading her a book. The main character in the story was a zebra. At the conclusion of the book Courtney pointed to the cover and exclaimed, “Giraffe.” Deb said, “No – that’s a zebra.” Courtney replied forcefully, “Giraffe!” This exchange went back and forth for what seemed like an eternity. At one point, Deb tried to reason with her, “Look honey, see it has black and white stripes and it does not have a long neck. It’s a zebra.” One last time Courtney insisted, “Giraffe!” At this point Deb threw up her hands and said, “Fine – you win – it’s a giraffe.” The little girl on her lap looked up at her with a broad grin on her face and said, “See Mommy, I told you it’s a giraffe.”