Perseverance

I imagine that, like me, many of you have made New Year's resolutions for living more healthfully this year - mentally, physically, and emotionally.  Studies suggest that you need to stick it out for only three weeks before these resolutions become more like habits, requiring less effort to maintain.  No matter what your resolution(s), read on for some encouragement:

"Why is it you only feel the thorns in your feet when you stop running? ... You must keep going, keep going fast."  Amazing Grace

Sometime last spring, after hearing about the movie for a long time, I finally sat down and watched Amazing Grace.  It's an absolutely beautiful historical drama about William Wilberforce's twenty-six-year crusade to end slavery in the British Empire.  After that first time, I watched it a second time.  And a third.  Over the course of only four days.

It's incredible that a man who fought so tirelessly for twenty-six years to abolish slavery should be so little remembered by history.  He battled merchants, ship owners, fellow Parliament members, and society, all while struggling with his own poor and failing health.  But after a quarter of a century, he succeeded.  The slave trade was abolished in Great Britain in 1807, and eventually slavery itself fell.

Here is the trailer for the movie.

Recently I went looking for a biography on Wilberforce, and found this one by Eric Metaxas.  It's a fantastic read and gives an even deeper insight into Wilberforce's life and character.  He was the kind of politician we could use in Washington right now.

And do you feel the fire when the flame gets hot?

Are you living every day like it's the last you got?

Will you step aside when it all falls down,

And watch it burn away?

Have a little faith when the walls cave in,

Pray for strength to fly against the wind.

Will you walk away when the fire gets hot?

Or fight another, another day?

Fight Another Day, Addison Road

This one speaks for itself.  Check it out.


"Never stop.  Never stop fighting, never stop dreaming."  Tom Hiddleston

You may not recognize the name, but so long as you haven't been living under a rock for the past few years, you know who Tom Hiddleston is.  The talented British actor shot to the forefront in 2011 by playing Loki in Thor - a role he continued in the Avengers and the upcoming Thor: The Dark World.  He also starred in Midnight in Paris, Deep Blue Sea, Warhorse, and the Hollow Crown series.  Oh, and he did this.  Very cool guy.

Whatever your resolutions and goals for this year, do not give them up!  The old adage, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," is true.  Challenges and setbacks are part of the process, but don't let them keep you from pursuing your goals.  When you fail, get back up and keep going!

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default."  J.K. Rowling