Reflection on Perseverance: Overcoming Obstacles (Essay Sample)

Everyone deals with problems differently but the way you deal with them really shows a lot about you. Some people panic and fail, but if you persevere and work through it you can become a stronger person. I think once you persevere through the obstacles you will feel so much better about yourself. It’ll make you a stronger person and you’ll be able to achieve more. One boy needed freedom from his country but there were so many obstacles. He persevered through them and got to america to achieve what he wanted in his life. Another lady went through tough times in her life but worked through them to become who she is today. Finally, slaves had to teach themselves how to read because they needed that power of knowledge. These people all have great stories on how they persevered in their lives and they are all great examples of how perseverance makes you stronger and just a better person for yourself and the world. 

In Jacalyn McNamara’s writing “Door to Freedom” she shares this young boy named pal’s story on how he was stuck in his Austrian refugee compound all alone with no family at 15 years old. Pal could not return to his homeland and decided to become a free young man and go to America. Pal joined the thousands of other people thronged at the entrance of the American Embassy. Pal didn’t eat all day and stayed in line shivering in the cold as snow fell around him. One example of how Pal stayed strong was “He awoke the following day determined to get into the embassy. He sold his watch and ate a hearty breakfast before going to stand in line.” He was determined to keep trying and never gave up for what he wanted. Eventually Pal made it into the Embassy but soon got sent back out to get more needs to make it into america. Pal stood in line forever and soon found his ways around these obstacles. “Pal crept down the steps and touched the doorknob. He turned it… He opened the door and stepped inside. Pal persevered and found a better and faster way to get what he wanted to fulfill his life and become a free man in America. This made him a stronger person and he was able to achieve his dreams once he got to America. 

In the poem “ Mother to Son” the mother uses a metaphor to convey her message to her son about his failures and successes. She uses “life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, and splinters, and boards torn up.” to show that her life isn’t and wasn’t anywhere near to perfect. The mother was showing and telling her son about how she persevered through her life and as she grew her life became better because of all her hard work. She wanted to get the message to him in a way he would understand. She wanted him to learn he can persevere through all his hard times as well. “For i’se still goin’ honey, i’se still climbin’.” She’s saying that her life still isn’t perfect but she can still climb higher and higher everyday making her stronger and stronger.

“Our masters always tried to hide book learning from our eyes; knowledge didn’t agree with slavery– ‘twould make us all too wise.” The slaves from the article “Learning to read” had to teach themselves how to read because they needed that power of knowledge that their slave owners didn’t want them to have. The slaves got treated very badly because of the lack knowledge they had and the slave owners were using that against them. The kids knew their obstacles and persevered to find a way through them. They took big risks to gain knowledge,power, and strength. “Some of us would try to steal a little from the book, and put the words together, and learn by hook or crook.” The slaves had to teach themselves as kids and find they’re own way out of this hard time in their lives. Once they persevered it made them stronger and their mentality strengthened so they could persevere through other obstacles throughout their lives. 

All of these people persevered through their obstacles and became stronger. All their perseverance paid off and they were all happier people. They are even bettering the world by their hard work because like the mother, she was already passing down her mentality to her son and even telling him how it never stops and you just have to keep climbing.They are all great examples to follow and great examples on how perseverance makes you stronger and a better person for yourself and the world.