Perseverance
to keep going
As we enter the home stretch of the semester—preparing for final exams, graduations, job applications, celebrations, and bar exam strategy—it’s fair to say that most of us are experiencing some level of stress. That stress waxes and wanes throughout the day and the week.
In my own life, I continue to learn how to manage stress and the fears that cause it. Breathing, healthy eating, rest, and going for a walk outside are some of the simple tools I’ve found helpful. But today I want to share a tool that is less about technique and more about a mindset shift: perseverance.
As in:
When he told her writing was just a hobby she should stop, she persevered.
When she woke up in a cold sweat, worried about her financial security, she journaled.
When she felt too much pain to get out of bed, she pulled off the covers, stood up, and did what she had to do anyway.
Sometimes, when life gets really hard and our fears feel overwhelming, we have to speak directly to them: no. I have too much to do. I will not listen to you today. I will go about my work and tell myself, I can do this.
This, too, is a form of perseverance.
Perseverance:
continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition; the action, condition, or instance of persisting in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement.
Earlier this year, I wrote about processing rejection. I’ve faced thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of rejections. But writing is a part of who I am and how I contribute to the world. I continue to write despite people telling me I would earn more money on other paths, that writing is “just a hobby,” or that my piece was not relatable or lacked a narrative arc. I seek feedback and criticism. I try again and again, draft after draft. This, too, is perseverance.
Earlier this Spring, after walking out of a stressful meeting about a personal matter I’ve been trying to overcome, I checked my email. I could not believe my eyes.
An email from the Director of the University of Massachusetts Press read:
I am delighted to tell you that your short story collection, The Indianness: Twelve Stories, has been selected as the winner of the Juniper Prize for Short Stories. This year’s contest judge, Kelly Link, told me how excited she is to have discovered your work, and she is very enthusiastic about your collection.
The Indianness will be published in Spring 2027.
Winning this prize—and moving toward publication of my first book—did not happen overnight. It took years of 4:00 a.m. writing sessions, editing during naptimes or MTA bus rides, and reading the work of other writers. And winning this prize does not result in automatic joy or instant problem‑solving despite what us hopeful writers imagine. I still worry about many things. If anything, new fears have emerged alongside this milestone. But I will continue to practice perseverance—for myself, for my family, for my dear colleagues and friends, and for my students.
Perseverance is essential for success—however you choose to define it.
Many of us are navigating uncertainty right now. Exams end, paths shift, plans change. Perseverance may be the most practical tool we have in this moment.