WHAT I LEARNT FROM A CRICKET by Austin Queensly (@AustinQueensly)

Swoosh! Swish! The water came in from all directions to drown this annoying little pest but it was apparently to no avail. This little thing held on to dear life like it had a family somewhere in its little cricket world. Or it had a job that it made a lot of money from and/or derived fulfillment.

What my fascination with this cricket was, I could not really place. However, reflecting on it a few hours later, I realized that it bordered on ‘pride’; pride that I could not get rid of an insignificant insect/pest easily. I definitely took the scripture from Philippians 3:12b out of context in my determination to get rid of this cricket from what I considered my personal space at least for the moment.

“Finally! Victory!!”… I shouted excitedly when with a final gush, I flushed the cricket down the laundry drain.

Perseverance is a word that has many synonyms and has been used severally by humans when describing themselves and is especially recurrent in resumes and cover letters. But in the real sense of the word, it is a rarity to find humans who possess that attribute regardless of gender, age, or race.
How many people can continue to do something especially when the expected result is/are not forthcoming? Perseverance is a virtue that is a necessity in order to achieve any success especially in the fulfillment of one’s vision.

It is good to have a vision because it is a blueprint for success. However, if one does not possess perseverance which is an ingredient expedient for physical creation of the vision, it (vision) becomes pointless. Therefore, a person with the rare combination of vision and perseverance becomes unstoppable with God on his/her side. View what you pass through as preparation for the fulfillment of your vision and purpose.

If you feel like giving up, keep this statement made by Albert Gray at the back of your mind:

"The successful person has the habit of doing things failures don't like to do. They don't like doing them either, necessarily, but their dislike is subordinated by the strength of their purpose."

Oh, lest I forget! My victory was short-lived because as soon as I finished my laundry, I saw that little ‘bane’ hanging on to the laundry floor close to the drain and dragging itself slowly out just like the ‘actor’ in an action movie. The only difference was that I, the ‘boss’ was still alive and gaping in disbelief.