Who among us has not experienced frustrations, disappointments and difficult situations? (Not one of us.) Perseverance appears in short supply today. We do not like to be uncomfortable. We do not like to wait. We want things to be on our terms. The greater the struggles, the greater the outcomes have been when I have chosen to persevere.

I have experienced some real struggles in business and life. In the early years of Eastern Industrial Supplies, I was miserable due to the workplace culture. It lacked most of everything you’d desire. There was also tremendous financial stress as America’s industrial foundations weakened. Sometimes I said yes to too many things; good things, but not the best things. Some that I had put my business hopes into had let me down. 

My father-in-law’s passing had a huge negative impact on me. Everything seemed to be going in the wrong direction. I had all the symptoms of mild depression and did not want to be around people. I just wanted to escape, rest and sleep. I asked many times, “What is going on?” All my hopes, dreams and visions for the future were erased. My windshield went dark. Joy seemed elusive. 

Experiencing those difficult times resulted in me having to persevere. During those first years at Eastern, I noted the values and culture I would want my employees to experience if I ever became their leader. Little did I know that God was looking over my shoulder and pushing me to become better. He encouraged me to build my character and prepared me for what He had in His plans next.

Great Outcomes Come From Great Struggles

In April 1986, the owner of Eastern offered me a buy/sell agreement. In the event of his death, I had the option to purchase the company. Only eight months later, he had a heart attack and passed away. He had been my mentor and knew my journey and potential character. He had planned for his company’s future, and I was able to purchase Eastern from his estate. If I had given up and quit, I would have missed all that has transpired since then. 

Some of my greatest outcomes came from my greatest struggles. When I have gone through tough times, I’ve always looked for those things I need to learn. The early days of being an employee at Eastern were not all fun. It was great to have a job, but we severely lacked a good workplace environment. I wanted to quit, give up and go somewhere else. However, no one was hiring, or they were not hiring me. All I could do was to keep going. 

Little did I know that those miserable times of persevering through would birth the culture present in Eastern today.

Have you ever experienced life situations like this — stress overload? We prefer the image that we have it all together. Yet, I have discovered that very few people do. I see so many put off or even quit projects and tasks altogether at the first hint of adversity or when things don’t go their way within their limited timeframe. How do we persevere under adverse circumstances?

The only thing that I knew to do was keep moving forward, keep going. Continuing to take one step at a time, one day at a time, and so on. Perseverance is facing the difficulties of life and business head-on despite the barriers, potholes and roadblocks. It is refusing to give up or give in. You take the blows and keep going — and growing. 

It is important to build a team of trusted advisors around you to help you flourish in times of stress. Who is beside you to keep you strong? Who makes you feel better after being around them? Those are the ones to lean on when times are hard. Those are the supporters you’ll need to persevere, along with faith (Romans 5:1-5). 

Struggling in silence and alone might get you so far, but it can also push you back. We need collaboration and continuous learning to keep growing to our full potential. 

I was provided with an opportunity to own a company and gained the building blocks of a workplace culture. Those building blocks were foundational in establishing the culture we continue improving today. 

Difficult times led to perseverance. Perseverance led to character growth. Character growth led to me regaining hope for the future. In difficult times, hang in there and persevere; you never know what might be just around the corner.  

Kip Miller is president and CEO of Eastern Industrial Supplies, located in Greenville, S.C.