I haven’t been as consistent as I wanted to be with my blog posts—I can actually attribute this to most things in my life lately. Not because of a lack of inspiration (though for the times, it is dwindling), but because of how much the world is constantly shifting, changing, and all of the unknowns that go along with that. This year has been anything, but a typical year for any of us anywhere. We truly are in this together (not only as a nation, but as a world)—it’s truly unbelievable if you truly think about it. One thing that I hold close to me is my perseverance. This is truly my most prized characteristic I embody and I’m grateful I have a lot of it each day—especially during these truly difficult times.
My perseverance has been the show runner to my success and over-achieving nature in my life. I love it.
If we as a world, or even a nation, heck, as individuals on this Earth need to encompass one trait in life, I would say it needs to be perseverance. When the times get tough or things aren’t going the way you want them too, that doesn’t necessarily mean to give up, it means to just keep trying harder and push through it with diligence and ease. That is one life lesson I have learned in life. By working with my perseverance and tenacity it has given me the (many ) opportunities to grow as a person.
By overcoming obstacles and hardships over and over again…that has helped me to grow into the beautiful person I am today.
Even though majority of the time the world seems like a dark and difficult place…there is always opportunity and hope—you just need to look for it. As I see it, to live a happy life, one needs balance and to rid ourselves of as much stress as we can in our lives. With that, when times are tough, it’s important to use those as learning experiences and opportunities to grow and become a better person from them. It isn’t the times when everything is going great or when you get that promotion or you have a new baby on the way…it’s the times where you get laid off, you file for divorce, and things are just not going the way you want them to—the tough moments in life that make us lose hope. Something that no one can really get away from currently (of course I’m referencing The Pandemic). It’s important more than ever during those times to not lose hope and to keep pushing forward. Even if it’s a level of ‘false hope’ (as some may say), it’s hope nevertheless (as I like to say), and that helps you to get through.
The way I see it, you need to have the rain to get the rainbow.
That is what I told my Algebra 2 teacher in 11th grade of high school. I was not a straight A student and math way really difficult for me. I was the oldest student in my class (being in 11th grade many of my counterparts were in 9th grade—it was a bit embarrassing), on top of that, I struggled the most in the class. I was barely getting by with a C-. I remember that my teacher pulled me aside one day in class and we walked out to the deserted hallway. We stood apart and I could tell it was not going to be her saying, “wow, you just got an A+ on your last quiz we just had, amazing!” Yeah, it wasn’t that. She wanted to let me know that I was barley getting by with a C- in the class (I think I was actually at a D, but she could see I was working really hard and wanted to help me the best she could). She continued on to ask me if I wanted to drop the class and start it next semester or the following year since I wasn’t getting a great grade. That’s when I said my ‘profound’ quote. At the time, I didn’t know if she was thinking I was being condescending (I was a 16-year-old after all—even though I’ve always had a ‘old soul’ and have always been much more mature and professional for my days) or if she knew I was being honest. I’m grateful that she knew it was the later. She was so impressed with me and my perseverance that she nominated me to receive the Zephyr Award of Excellence (yes, our school mascot was a Zephyr). This consisted of a breakfast in the auditorium and then the principal awarding us with a certificate, a pen (I still use this pen for my business to this day), and our picture above the principal’s office in a plaque form—it was pretty cool. Who knew that perseverance could be so rewarding?
As I said, I still have this pen and use it when I’m taking notes for my new consulting business—to remind me of who I am and what I am.
I used to be SO jealous of my friend’s who constantly were on high honors and easily got 4.0 GPAs or ones that got all of the artistic awards or athletic awards—that was not me. But years later, I see that being awarded for my perseverance was something I can take into adulthood that will be the ‘secret sauce’ for me to thrive and prosper in this world. Most of the awards I received in school were for my perseverance.
Now, let’s fast forward to my two master’s degrees and my bachelor’s degree. A lot of people looking at me might judge me right off the bat saying that I’m just very bright and intelligent—that I was one of those academically gifted children (that is the farthest from the truth, academia was the most difficult thing for me in life), but what truly got me all of those credentials was my perseverance and my ability to never give up even when the times got tough. Also, my will to want to overcome something that I knew was challenging. My whole life I struggled in school from elementary to high school.
To me, the aspect of overcoming an obstacle far exceeds doing something perfectly—I’m so lucky that I discovered this so early in my life. Because, it’s true.
Let’s even fast forward to the present. My perseverance has allowed me to open up a consulting agency that I founded this year! Every time I look at my degree wall, or write with my Award of Excellence pen…I remember what makes me who I am. A hardworking person that never gives up until she gets what she wants in life. As I always told my parents, “if you don’t like the ending, it’s not over yet.”
As not only a founder of my own consulting agency, but as a trusted consultant, I want to share and carry on this nature to you and your business or organization. My whole life has been building-up to this moment for me to share my skills with the world. I’m truly grateful for that and I always will be. I am eager to continue to grow my consulting agency and see where it takes me—during these times it is difficult, but i see a bright and promising future that I am excited for!
Welcome again to Elizabeth Kahn Consulting! I am creating a subsidiary that I am going to be discussing soon, I’m very excited about it and it’s adapting to the times completely!
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