Persistence ~ by Jacquolyn McMurrray

Ever since Grace shared her word for the year, I've been thinking about choosing a word of my own.

Photo by Jacquolyn McMurray

After many hikes on Hawai'i island, I've settled on the word PERSISTENCE.  It  astounds me how many examples of persistence are in our natural environment. 

Photo by Len Pestana

Take, for example, the ʻōhiʻa lehua tree that is one of the first plants to establish itself in the Hawaiian lava fields. With precious few nutrients to sustain growth, the seed settles itself in water that has collected in a small depression or crack in the lava and grows into a flowering tree. 

Photo by Roberto Reposo on Unsplash

Or consider the five inch long Hawaiian o'opu ‘alamo‘o stream fish that climbs up all 442 feet of 'Akaka Falls in order to reach the stream that feeds the falls. This persistent creature travels up the slick rocks, against the flow of the falls, with the help of suction disks on its underbelly and its extraordinary fins. The trip is long and arduous, but the instinct to reach the stream overshadows the struggle.



In the front of our house, smothered by a pile of lava rocks, a day lily plant finds her way through the rock fortress to display her brilliant orange petals. 

When was the last time you pushed through a project to display your talents?

Last year it was persistence that helped me complete my first historical romance for Barbour Publishing. This year I'll need to persist even more as I work on my first full length historical fiction. 

Here’s to a year filled with the persistence needed to create your best work! 

Aloha until next time.