Leadership is tough, life is tough; sometimes it may seem easier to quit. I have thought of quitting on more than one occasion. I ask, what would it be like to work a different job? One where I can just punch in and punch out? I know the answer to this question: I would go crazy. And so, in the midst of my trial, I pull from past experiences, the ones where I didn't give up, and battle forward. When we stick with it something amazing happens: we experience hope. Hope is the product of perseverance, not just the promise of success. I read an ancient letter to a group of Christians in Rome today. It said, "we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope (Romans 5.3-4)." The author, Paul, outlines a formula where hope is produced. He argues that hope is the maturation of suffering, perseverance, and character.

Hope is the product of perseverance.

As suffering enters your life, and it will enter your life, know that you have set off on a track. In order to reap the reward of hope, you must be willing to finish the lap. Push through towards perseverance, allow your character to develop and see how hope comes with the flourish of a checkered flag. Winston Churchill famously said, "when you are going through hell keep going." In the same way do not give up when life gets tough.